NEW YORK — Video showed a chaotic scene inside a restaurant in Queens as a group of teenagers rushed in and vandalized the restaurant, knocking over tables and chairs.
The incident happened just before 8:30 p.m. Saturday night at College Point’s Fish Village, a restaurant on the third floor of a corner mall. Manager Tony Hu, who does not speak English, said through a translator that more than a dozen teenagers suddenly burst in and started making a mess, interrupting customers as plates and the glasses were broken.
The teens were wearing masks and hoodies when they broke into the main dining room, leaving behind a shattered window and around $20,000 in damage.
Hu said no one was hurt, but everyone in the restaurant was nervous about the ordeal, which lasted just over a minute. The manager said he hid behind the counter and called the police, telling his staff not to engage with them for fear of safety.
Councilwoman Vickie Paladino visited the restaurant on Monday. She said they just added 50 NYPD officers to her county, but still needed more.
The restaurant is working to continue, although the staff guard the door. Hu said he was worried the group might return, but he’s confident the police are dealing with the matter. While more officers were expected to keep watch outside the area, our sister network NBC New York saw none on Monday.
Police said no arrests have yet been made. The group responsible for the chaos left for 127th Street.