BELLEVUE, Wash. — An Applebee’s manager is recovering after his employee apparently attacked him with a hammer out of nowhere.
On Aug. 31 around 1 a.m., a 56-year-old manager at the Applebee’s on Bel Red Road in Bellevue was closing up for the night in his office when he heard an employee, 48-year-old Marco Antonio Herrera-Chan, approach his office and say “lo siento.”
Then, Herrera-Chan hit him in the head with a hammer, according to court documents.
The victim told police he was dazed after the first blow, and couldn’t see with the blood that ran into his eyes.
Herrera-Chan allegedly tried to hit the manager again, but the blow was blocked.
The pair struggled on the ground for a bit, and the manager was able to grab some scissors nearby in his office and then stabbed Herrera-Chan to get him off, court documents said.
Herrera-Chan left and the victim was able to lock himself in his office and call police.
Herrera-Chan was arrested at the scene and told police he didn’t know why he did it and that his “mind closed” during the attack, court documents said.
The victim told police that he worked with Herrera-Chan for eight months and never had any issues or disputes with him, personally or professionally.
He has been charged with first-degree assault.
Bail has been set at $100,000. If Herrera-Chan posts it, he cannot have contact with the victim and will need to be monitored via ankle bracelet.
It doesn’t appear he had any criminal history that King County prosecutors were aware of.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 9.
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