A waitress has been kidnapped after she confronted a group of diners who left a restaurant in Washington Township, New Jersey, without paying their $70 bill.
What are the details?
Washington Township police have revealed that 5 suspects tried to leave the Nifty Fifty's restaurant without paying. It happened at about 11:15 p.m., on Saturday. A waitress bravely tried to stop them, but things went downhill fast.
The woman was pulled inside a white Dodge Durango. While she was in the vehicle the waitress was assaulted by the suspects.
Video surveillance obtained by the police showed the 20-year-old waitress going out of the restaurant, wearing a red shirt, and running toward the vehicle with the 5 suspects only to get kidnapped, as reported by WPVI-TV.
Once the waitress was in the car the vehicle drove off.
“They assaulted her inside the vehicle,” Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik said for WPVI.
While the assault was taking place, another passenger appeared to get out of the car and run away.
“The vehicle headed north on Route 42, made a U-turn, and was heading south toward Monroe Township,” Gurcsik added for the news outlet.
The waitress was able to run back to the restaurant and after she got there the woman called the authorities. She has since been taken to hospital to be treated.
The woman has been released and is expected to make a full recovery.
“They're having trouble finding wait staff due to the pandemic, and she came out to confront them,” Gurcsik also shared with the news station.
“As an employee, that makes me feel bad. And mad,” John Hill, a Nifty Fifty's employee, said for the news station.
“This is a family restaurant; oh, this is crazy,” Stacie Garris-Oliver of Lindenwold shared with the station.
The Washington Township police recommends that from now on restaurant employees only take down license plate information for those who leave without paying their bills.
“Do not chase after accused suspects and confront them yourselves,” Gurcsik concluded.