On the evening of April 4, 2025, two violent customers attacked a waitress at a Chicago Mexican restaurant, El Taco Azteca, over a $50 bill, leaving the staff and patrons in disbelief.
The incident, which took place around 8 pm in the Pilsen neighborhood, was captured on surveillance video, showing the vicious altercation that unfolded after the two women became irate over their meal.
The Dispute and the Attack
According to reports, the women had ordered food to go, but after nearly finishing their meal, they returned to demand a refund.
The 23-year-old waitress, who was on duty at the time, politely explained that a refund could not be processed.
This response sparked an immediate outburst from the women, who began wrecking the restaurant.
In the video footage, one woman, dressed in a black shirt, can be seen throwing napkins and knocking over decorations.
As the waitress approached to ask the woman to stop, the situation escalated further when the other woman, wearing a blue jacket, slapped the server across the face.
What followed was a brutal assault, with the women tackling the waitress, punching and kicking her for several minutes in a violent rage.
They shoved her to the ground, dragged her by her hair, and continued to knee her in the face and step on her head.
Intervention and Aftermath
A male employee tried to intervene, but was unsuccessful in stopping the attack.
Meanwhile, another bystander can be seen in the background calling the police.
After what seemed like an eternity of assault, the restaurant’s manager, Martha Garcia, rushed in to help.
“I came in when I heard what was going on, and I was able to pull off one of her attackers,” Garcia told NBC Chicago.
However, when she separated the two women, one of them turned on Garcia and began swinging at her as well.
The assault finally ended when the attackers were escorted out of the restaurant, but not before one of them threw an object at the waitress on their way out.
The police were contacted multiple times during the chaos, but they arrived only after the women had fled the scene.
Victim’s Injuries and Community Outcry
The victim suffered a broken pinky, facial scratches, and numerous bruises across her body.
The waitress, who had only been working at El Taco Azteca for about five months, was left shaken and injured by the senseless violence.
Meanwhile, the identities of the two women responsible for the attack remain unknown.
Carlos Garcia, the owner of El Taco Azteca, expressed his disbelief at the situation.
“I feel rage, primarily because something like this has never happened, and for it to be over $50 just doesn’t make any sense,” he told NBC Chicago.
Support for the Victim and Investigation Continues
El Taco Azteca has since updated the public on the waitress’s recovery, stating that she is doing better and that the restaurant has covered her medical expenses.
“The safety and well-being of our staff and customers remain our top priority,” the restaurant wrote in a statement.
Chicago police and community leaders are calling for accountability.
“We cannot normalize this level of violence anywhere,” said Byron Sigcho-Lopez, who works with the Chicago Police Department.
“I hope this investigation gives light not only to who perpetrated this violence but how it came about and what we must do to prevent it.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up by one of the waitress’s friends to assist with her recovery, with a fundraising goal of $2,500. As of now, the page has raised around $375.
According to the GoFundMe description, the waitress works two jobs and is just a month away from graduating college.
“She’s a hard-working woman who was just doing her job.
She needs this job and the money,” said Martha Garcia, the manager of El Taco Azteca.
This horrific incident has left the community in shock, and the search for the responsible parties continues.
The hope is that justice will be served and that no one else will have to endure such senseless violence in the future.