An apparently hangry man with a knife threatened to kill everyone inside a New Jersey restaurant on Wednesday after being refused service because he wasn’t wearing a mask, authorities said.
Jose Canales, 21, allegedly flew into a rage while trying to order dinner at the counter of Fatty’s Restaurant in Morristown at around 10:30 p.m.
When manager Mauri Colin told Canales to mask up or leave, he “became disrespectful,” Morristown police said Thursday.
Colin canceled his food order and refunded Canales’ money.
But the maskless man reached over the counter and punched the manager, police said.
Canales then allegedly whipped out a small pocket knife and threatened to kill the restaurant employees. The crazed man also grabbed an iPad from the counter and hurled it at the staff, according to cops.
The manager bruised his hand during the fight, and Canales suffered a cut to his forehead, police said.
Colin managed to chase Canales outside the eatery until cops came to arrest him. Canales was later taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Canales has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, criminal mischief, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
In July, Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order stating residents must wear masks in indoor and outdoor public places in order to curb the spread of the virus. The Garden State reported 5,370 more COVID cases and 68 deaths Thursday.
