TOLUCA LAKE : Cafe Owner Arrested After Throwing Food

Misdemeanor charges may be filed against a cafe owner who hurled a container of food at a health inspector and was later arrested and booked for battery, authorities said Friday.

Romelia Issakhanian, owner of the trendy Cafe du Soleil on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, had a belligerent history toward health officials, forcing the inspector to bring along a supervisor for protection, according to the county Department of Health Services.

“She apparently gets somewhat upset when health inspectors come by. It’s not uncommon. It’s uncommon when they get physical with our people,” said Carl Charles, who oversees the agency’s restaurant inspections.

Issakhanian, 41, declined to discuss the incident, but said: “I am not some criminal.”

Inspector Bessie Gallanis and her supervisor, Grainne Clarke, found 22 safety violations during their unexpected visit Thursday, including the improper sale of turkey and chicken prepared at Issakhanian’s Burbank home.

Authorities said the cafe owner willingly threw most of it into the trash, but hurled a container of the food at Gallanis, hitting the inspector in the knee. Clarke said she and Gallanis fled to phone police.

County health officials said they expect to have misdemeanor charges related to the food violations filed against Issakhanian. The Burbank city attorney’s office may also file a misdemeanor charge of battery, which is punishable by up to six months in jail, a maximum $2,000 fine, or both.

Clarke said the cafe owner has acted violently toward health officials three times before, but declined to elaborate.

“The inspector was quite shaken by the whole situation,” she said. “It was quite traumatic.”