Three women are accused of abusing a 17-year-old restaurant hostess in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, because they were overwhelmed that their large group did not all sit together because of coronavirus social-distancing rules, police said.
The incident happened Sunday after a large group of women entered a Chilean restaurant and asked to sit at the same table, Baton Rouge police said in a news release.
“The employee advised the group that due to social distance requirements, the company was only allowed six at a table,” the release said.
The employee was then physically assaulted by multiple people in the group, police said. She was treated at a local hospital for her injuries.
Three of the women, Tammy Dabney, 48, Rodneka Dabney, 27, and Erica Dabney, 46, all of Baton Rouge, were arrested Thursday in connection with the incident, police Sgt. Don Coppola Jr. said Friday.
Tammy Dabney is charged with aggravated second-degree battery. Erica Dabney and Rodneka Dabney have been charged with disturbing the peace and simple battery.
It was not clear if any of the three lawyers did. Attempts to reach the three suspects Friday were not immediately successful.
Coppola said anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers helped lead to the arrests and that the investigation is ongoing.
A request for comment from Chile’s Media Relations Office received no immediate response.
Police did not identify the Chilean worker, but she was identified in a GoFundMe campaign as Kelsy Wallace.
Wallace was not available for an interview Friday, but her aunt, Lorraine Williams, who started the GoFundMe, said her uncle was being chased by the attack.
“Emotionally, she’s a wreck,” Williams said in a telephone interview Friday. “She has a lot of nightmares and fears.”
Wallace has begun seeing a behavioral therapist because she is showing signs of anxiety, Williams said.
“She does not like to be alone,” Williams said, adding that Wallace has difficulty sleeping at night. “She just left this morning.”
The aunt said the attack happened after Wallace refused to seat a party of 13 at the same table because the restaurant’s limit per table is six because of the coronavirus.
Wallace, a high school senior, had to have stitches above her eye after the incident and had pulled out a piece of hair, her aunt said.
Wallace told People that one woman in the group of customers was pushing her, and she was pushing her back.
“I kind of fell for fighting for my life,” Wallace told the magazine. “I was really scared, crying for my mother.”
She said she has no plans to return to her job, saying the incident “has really taken an emotional toll on me; not only physically but emotionally as well.”
