Investigations are underway in Washington, D.C., after a valet was beaten and injured, and some customers at two restaurants had their car keys stolen from valet stands in two different incidents.
The first incident happened on Thursday at Diners at Kitchen + Kocktails at 1300 I Street in Northwest D.C., where patrons learned a valet was attacked and keys were stolen, according to FOX 5 DC.
Four suspects arrived at the restaurant in a black Infiniti Q50S with a Maryland hard tag of 50033CJ, according to a police report obtained by the outlet. Detectives said one man distracted the doorman while others broke into the valet key box and stole keys to several vehicles.
The men then fled the restaurant in the Infiniti to I Street NW and turned right onto K Street NW.
Police said one of the valets chased the suspects’ vehicle on foot until arriving at the 900 block of 13th Street NW, where the suspects were attempting to enter a car matching one of the stolen sets of keys.
The valet tried to pull the suspects out of the vehicle when they began to attack his face. The valet backed off, and the suspects fled in the stolen car.
DC Fire and EMS responded to the incident and transported the valet to Washington Hospital Center. He was treated for swelling to his forehead and lacerations on his nose.
The second burglary happened at about 10 p.m. on Saturday in which multiple sets of keys were taken from the valet stand at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse at 950 I St. – a couple of minutes from Kitchen + Kocktails.
The valet reported the incident and informed responding officers that a suspect approached the valet table while he was assisting a customer, and grabbed four sets of keys belonging to a Maserati, a 2021 Kia, a 2021 Honda and a 2021 Nissan before running away, according to police.
Andrea Ible, who is one of the victims, said she was unable to get into her car until Sunday afternoon, adding that she did not receive her keys back. She expressed frustration with the restaurant over how it is handling the incident.
“They’re not doing anything,” Ible told FOX 5. “They were being very negligent.”
Both incidents remain under investigation.
Keys have been stolen from valet stands in D.C. on multiple other occasions over the last several months. The most recent taking place outside RPM Italian D.C. at 6th and K Streets in February. A Ruth’s Chris Steak House valet was burglarized in Northwest D.C. on Christmas Day, and again on New Year’s Day.
It is unclear if any arrests were made in those incidents.
