Two women in face paint, one a former employee, arrested for restaurant rampage

COSTA MESA, Calif. – Two women in hoodies with their faces painted were arrested after they walked into a Southern California restaurant, at least one of them with a bat, and started vandalizing and disrupting the establishment Saturday afternoon, the Costa Mesa Police Department said in a news release.

Passion Shenay Coleman, 27, walked in at about 1:30 p.m. and smashed a television, table settings and plates with a bat, causing thousands in damages at the restaurant in the 3300 block of Bristol Street in the South Coast Plaza area, police said.  Restaurant staff recognized her as a former employee.

Another woman, Laglennda Damona Carr, 24, soon followed her into the restaurant and started yelling and “being disruptive,” according to the news release.

Diners left the restaurant as the incident unfolded, and none reported any injuries.

The Orange County Register reported panicked patrons were bolting towards the exits at Maggiano’s Little Italy after seeing both women swinging wildly and smashing the bar, where a small fire ignited.

One witness told the newspaper he heard one of the women yell, “I’m not good enough? Take that.”

Officers arrived at the scene and found the two Fullerton women trying to drive away from a nearby parking lot, Costa Mesa police said.

The women were pulled over and arrested.

Carr and Coleman were both booked into a Costa Mesa jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, felony vandalism, burglary and felony conspiracy to commit crimes, authorities said.

Coleman was found to have cuts on her hands and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment before being booked into jail on $500,000 bail. She also faces an additional misdemeanor warrant for a suspended license, according to police.

Carr’s bail was set at $25,000.

It’s unclear what the women are accused of burglarizing.

Police said Coleman had gone into the restaurant less than two hours before the incident, made threats and threw a plate at an employee. At the time, officers were called to the scene but they didn’t find anyone. The employee’s condition is unknown.

No further details were immediately available.