A Sidney restaurant has sustained significant damage following a violent customer incident on Monday.
The incident took place at the locally-owned Taco Shell Mexican Restaurant, located at 2367 Beacon Ave. in Sidney.
According to Sidney/North Saanich RCMP, officers received a report of a violent customer causing damage in the restaurant at around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12.
In a message from Taco Shell staff, it claims the customer – who was known to restaurant employees – came in and ordered a burrito, but left before paying or receiving the food.
Employees said that the customer then returned 15 minutes later and tried to order a burrito again. When the staff told him he would have to pay for his burrito before it was made, the customer turned violent.
Police told CHEK News that the customer smashed the front door, part of the fireplace, and caused damage to one of the tables. According to Sidney/North Saanich officers, it appears the suspect used a skateboard as a weapon at one point during the outbreak, resulting in some of the damage as well.
Police arrived after the suspect had left the restaurant, but a witness who also knew the male suspect helped officers find and arrest him shortly after the incident.
Taco Shell employees are estimating that the total damage of the outbreak is worth around $6,000 and the restaurant says it resulted in their closure for the remainder of the day.
Police said the man has since been released on conditions, where he is allowed no contact with the Sidney restaurant or its staff members.
An investigation is currently ongoing, police say, as patrol officers take witness statements and gather evidence before making a recommendation to the Crown Counsel.
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Correction: A previous version of this article used the word outbreak in the headline to describe the customer’s behaviour. The headline has been changed to outburst. CHEK News apologizes for the error.
Graham Cox
