Elmhurst Restaurant Workers Get In Fight: Police

ELMHURST, IL – Four workers at an Elmhurst restaurant got into a fight earlier this month, apparently the result of longstanding differences, police said.

The fight happened shortly before 10 p.m. Aug. 12 at Portillo's, 155 S. Route 83.

Miriam Garcia Rivera, 20, and Karen Garcia Rivera, 18, both of Franklin Park, and two youths were charged with disorderly conduct. The police department does not release the names of juveniles.

Patch obtained the police report through a public records request.

Witnesses said the problem started when one of the youths was asked for salads over the intercom. That worker became upset because she had no salads and responded aggressively to the requester, police said.

The Riveras took offense to the youth's attitude and confronted her, according to the report.

One of the witnesses said the four yelled at each other and that Miriam and the youth began getting physical, police said. Karen and the other youth joined in, according to the report. The witness said the suspects have had issues before.

Another witness said the Riveras were doing their jobs when one of the youths approached Miriam and asked, "Why are you so mad?"

One of the youths hit Karen and scratched her face, police said.

In an interview, one of the youths told police that she was working in the salad area when Miriam approached her and said that the youth liked talking "s---" about Karen. In an argument, Miriam suggested "we can take this outside," the youth said.

The fight was broken up by others, but then it started again, according to the report. Then police arrived.

An officer told Portillo's management that it would charge the person who started the fight with battery if the restaurant furnished video of the incident.

Ten days later, Portillo's still had not provided the video, police said.