NYC Woman Arrested For Stabbing Fellow Diner At Ruth’s Chris Steak House

A New York City mom was arrested for stabbing a fellow patron while dining at the Midtown Ruth’s Chris Steak House. 

The New York Post reports that a 24-year-old diner began arguing with a restaurant employee just after 10 p.m. on Friday night. The man caused such a scene that several nearby tables were impacted.

Joan Thompson, 41, was at a table with a female cousin and something caused the altercation to refocus on them. The man hit Thompson’s cousin with a punch. Cellphone video obtained by investigators shows Thompson standing on a chair with a steak knife and making stabbing motions toward the victim. 

“I’m really upset about the whole situation,” the cousin told the outlet. “We were attacked. We were having dinner. We were having a nice quiet dinner, and we were attacked.” 

She added, “It’s unfair.” 

The victim was taken to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell in stable condition. He suffered from a pierced lung. 

Thompson and her cousin fled the scene on foot without paying their bill. She was subsequently identified through the name on her dinner reservation and taken into custody. Thompson was charged with felony assault and menacing, according to police. 

She was arraigned before Judge Kevin McGrath, and her bail was set at $40,000.

Thompson’s father, Carlos Stapleton, told the outlet that he believes his daughter acted in self-defense and her bail is unfair. 

“That’s very unfair. Very unfair,” he said. “That type of bail is not even when it’s the girl’s fault. That means anybody can bother you these days, and you can’t protect yourself — that’s what it sounds like. That’s what it is.”