Man arrested after allegedly refusing to pay for ‘too rare’ steak

A restaurant patron was arrested over the weekend after he refused to pay for his $46 squid and steak dinner that he claimed was “too rare,” and then assaulted workers who tried to stop him from fleeing, police said.

Joseph Lee was taken into custody about 8:50 p.m. Saturday on suspicion of assault and refusing to pay for his dinner at Zono Sushi in Glendale, according to local police.

Most of the incident was recorded on the server’s cellphone, police added.

Before Lee was released Sunday on $60,000 bail, he reportedly told police he was a first-time customer at the restaurant in the 100 block of North Maryland and was dissatisfied with his meal.

After eating most of it, Lee allegedly tried to leave without settling his bill, setting off a chain of events that started with a female server getting an elbow to her stomach.

The restaurant’s owner and another employee told police they were nearly run over by Lee as he tried to flee in his Volkswagen. One of them even had to hold on to the roof and driver’s-side door to keep from being swept out as he reversed, according to police.

Lee eventually accelerated forward and fled the scene, police said. After he was tracked down and arrested, he reportedly told officers he fled because he felt uncomfortable with the restaurant owner and employee standing near his car, police said.

The restaurant owner and employees declined medical treatment.

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veronica.rocha@latimes.com