By Mary Zakharova
A 22-year-old man named Anthony D’Onofrio was stabbed to death in front of Catrinas Mexican Grill in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn on Jan. 29. D’Onofrio was attempting to break up a fight that started in front of the restaurant when he got stabbed by Kevin Cuatlacuatl, 19, in the chest, the NY Daily News reported.
Paramedics rushed D’Onofrio to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where he was pronounced dead soon after. Another victim, also a 22-year-old man, suffered a wound to his head and was brought to the same hospital in stable condition.
A petition was started in honor of D’Onofrio by one of his close friends, a City College of New York student named Andrew Salmieri, demanding that the restaurant be shut down. As of press time, more than 3,200 people have signed the petition. “It is clear that the owners of Catrinas have no intention of following the law, no regard for the neighborhood in which they operate, and even less regard for keeping their own customers safe,” Salmieri’s petition reads.
Councilman Justin Brannan noted that the restaurant has a history of “illegal and reckless behavior,” according to a Facebook post. Catrinas Mexican Grill was accused of selling drugs and alcohol to underaged people. Brannan’s office recently reached out to the NYPD and the State Liquor Authority with complaints about the restaurant. The SLA opened its own investigation regarding this incident.
The Brooklyn College Vanguard tried to speak with one of the restaurant’s employees over the phone, but they claimed to not have any information about the incident.
One of the locals, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The Vanguard they believe the police need to investigate the restaurant and fire Catrinas workers who were in any way connected to the illegal actions. “If everyone in the restaurant is involved in that, if the owners are, then yes, you might have to close it. But if there are people who were just working and got caught up in it, you don’t necessarily want to take away the way that they feed their families,” the anonymous local said.
A mass for D’Onofrio was held at the St. Finbar Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, Feb. 3.