Women accused in smash-up of South Coast Plaza restaurant plead not guilty

Two Fullerton women accused of going on a rampage at a South Coast Plaza restaurant — during which items were smashed with a bat — have pleaded not guilty to multiple felony and other charges, according to court records.

Customers at Maggiano’s Little Italy in the 3300 block of Bristol Street in Costa Mesa started rushing toward the exits Saturday after a woman who police said was a former employee walked in with a bat at 1:30 p.m. and smashed a television, table settings and plates while yelling at staff members. The vandalism caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, authorities said.

Another woman followed her into the restaurant and started yelling and “being disruptive,” according to the Costa Mesa Police Department.

The women wore hoodies and face paint during the incident and were eventually arrested in a nearby parking lot as they tried to leave, police said.

Passion Shenay Coleman, 27, who police said was the former employee, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two felony counts of vandalism and one felony count each of criminal threats, second-degree burglary, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and conspiracy to commit a crime, according to court records. She also pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor counts of battery, assault, wearing a mask or disguise for an unlawful purpose, brandishing a weapon and resisting a peace officer.

Laglennda Damona Carr, 24, pleaded not guilty to felony counts of second-degree burglary, vandalism and conspiracy to commit a crime, as well as misdemeanor counts of resisting a peace officer and wearing a mask or disguise for an unlawful purpose, court records show.

Maggiano’s Little Italy at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa was vandalized Saturday afternoon, police said.

(Luke Money)

Police said no customers were hurt during the incident; it’s unclear whether any of the restaurant staff reported injuries.

The restaurant referred questions to Maggiano’s parent company, Brinker International Inc., which did not respond to a request for comment.

Coleman and Carr were booked into Orange County Jail with bail set at $500,000 and $25,000, respectively. They are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 17 for a pretrial hearing.

KTLA contributed to this report.

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