Managers at 888 Pan Asian say the attack damaged the dining room, cost days of business and sent customers running for cover.
AUSTIN, TX — A Sunday evening meal at 888 Pan Asian in southeast Austin turned chaotic April 12 when a customer allegedly began smashing furniture, throwing bottles and tearing through the restaurant, forcing diners and workers to flee as police rushed to the scene.
Authorities say the damage at the restaurant on East Oltorf Street was extensive enough to shut down normal operations for cleanup and repairs, while managers put the loss at roughly $60,000 when property damage and missed sales were added together. Austin police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Baron Maximiliano Heinrich and charged him with terroristic threat involving pecuniary loss of more than $1,500, a state jail felony. The case matters now because the restaurant has reopened while still counting the financial hit, and the criminal case is moving toward a scheduled May court appearance.
Ryan Tran, the restaurant’s general manager, said the outburst began after Heinrich had been dining inside the business. What started as an ordinary visit and a bill of about $68, Tran told local television, turned without warning into a destructive episode that staff and customers struggled to understand in real time. Police were called at about 6:38 p.m., according to an arrest affidavit described in local reports. Early callers reported a man damaging the restaurant, and one caller thought shots had been fired. Investigators later said those sounds were bottles bursting through windows. By the time officers arrived, the scene inside the restaurant had become a maze of broken glass, overturned tables and scattered plates, while customers had rushed outside and crouched behind cover or ran from the building.
Witness accounts and police descriptions sketch a fast-moving scene. Officers said Heinrich was seen flipping tables, throwing items at employees and damaging property throughout the restaurant. Local reports said he used wine bottles to smash windows and at one point ripped a stainless-steel fountain drink machine from the bar area, leaving a broken water line that added flooding to the mess on the floor. A manager told police she feared he might strike her or patrons with a table. Tran said his first priority was getting customers and workers out safely. After officers entered, they said Heinrich barricaded himself in a back office and refused commands to come out. Police then used pepper ball rounds to force him from the room, and they took him into custody without any report that he was carrying a weapon. No serious physical injuries were publicly reported in the immediate aftermath, but police said the destruction affected furniture, glassware, equipment and structural elements.
The restaurant’s losses go beyond what was broken on the floor. Tran said the business lost two days of sales while crews cleaned up and staff worked to make the dining room usable again. He estimated the total hit at about $60,000, though he also said the final number could shift as the insurance process continues and the full scope of repairs becomes clear. In one account earlier in the week, police estimates cited by local stations placed the property damage at at least $40,000, showing that the count was still being refined as managers inspected the site and calculated lost business. The restaurant, known locally as a Vietnamese and pan-Asian spot, sits in a busy stretch of southeast Austin where weekend dinner service can bring a steady stream of families and groups. For a neighborhood restaurant, even a short closure can mean a hard financial blow, not only from repairs but from canceled orders, spoiled routine and staff hours thrown off by an abrupt shutdown.
The criminal case is now moving into its next stage. Travis County jail records cited by local news outlets showed Heinrich was booked into custody with bond set at $3,500. Those same reports said he was scheduled to appear in court Monday, May 11. Police said the investigation remains ongoing, which leaves some key questions unanswered, including what triggered the outburst and whether any additional charges could be considered as prosecutors review the evidence. The felony charge already filed, terroristic threat with pecuniary loss over $1,500, centers on the claim that the conduct caused significant economic harm and forced people to react in fear. Local reporting also said Heinrich underwent a medical evaluation before he was booked into the Travis County Jail. Court records and future filings may provide more detail about police evidence, witness statements and any defense response as the case proceeds.
For Tran and his staff, the lasting image is not only the wreckage but the scramble to protect the room full of people caught in it. He told reporters he was grateful to the Austin community and to police officers who responded, saying the safety of customers came first. Video recorded by patrons and later shared online captured the sound of crashing glass and showed a man moving through the dining room with debris all around him, turning a normal service period into a scene that looked more like the aftermath of a storm. Even after the doors reopened, the restaurant was still working through insurance questions and trying to settle back into routine. The immediate emergency had ended, but the business was left to absorb the cost, repair the damage and reassure customers that the restaurant was safe to return to.
As of Friday, the restaurant had resumed service, the suspect remained publicly identified in the pending case, and the next visible milestone was a May 11 court date as investigators continue reviewing what happened inside 888 Pan Asian on April 12.
Author note: Last updated April 18, 2026.