Police said two people were taken into custody after a fight at a downtown Los Angeles restaurant ended with knife and bottle injuries.
LOS ANGELES, CA — A dispute over a restaurant bill at a downtown Los Angeles restaurant turned into a violent fight Sunday evening, leaving at least five women hurt and prompting police to take two people into custody after witnesses reported a chaotic scene near West Seventh and Olive streets.
Authorities were still sorting out the full timeline Monday after early accounts differed on how many people were stabbed and how many were hurt in total. Los Angeles police said four people were stabbed inside or near Zaya Restaurant, while fire officials said crews treated five women at the scene and that one person with facial cuts declined transport. The episode drew a large emergency response in one of the busiest parts of downtown and raised new questions about how a private gathering at a restaurant escalated so quickly into a weapon assault.
Police and fire officials said the fight broke out late Sunday afternoon as a private party at the restaurant was winding down. Officers were sent to the 500 block of West Seventh Street shortly after 5 p.m., while television outlets citing first responders placed the first emergency calls between about 4:40 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. By the time officers arrived, the argument had already turned physical. Investigators said the conflict began around the group’s bill and then widened into a fight among several people. According to police accounts carried by local broadcasters, one person armed herself with a knife during the confrontation, and another used a glass bottle. Aerial video from the scene showed police cars, ambulances and crime-scene tape around the restaurant as officers moved witnesses back from the entrance. The restaurant later said in a public statement that it was aware of the incident and thanked employees and first responders for their quick action.
By Monday morning, the clearest count from officials was that four women were taken to a hospital with what police and fire officials described as minor or fair-condition injuries, and a fifth woman with cuts to her face left on her own after refusing transport. Broadcast reports, relying on police radio traffic and briefings from responders, had initially described three stabbing victims before the count rose to four. Fire officials also reported six total patients at one stage of the response, suggesting that not every injury was caused by a knife. The women taken to hospitals were reported to be between 26 and 37 years old. Police had not publicly released their names by Monday, and authorities had not said whether any of the injured were restaurant workers or whether all were part of the same private party. Officers detained two people at the scene, and local outlets reported that both were expected to face assault with a deadly weapon allegations. Police had not publicly identified them or said whether either had retained a lawyer.
The location of the fight added to the attention the case drew. The restaurant sits in a dense stretch of downtown lined with offices, apartments, hotels, bars and transit stops, a corridor that is often crowded on weekends and early evenings. Witness video and helicopter footage showed flashing lights filling the block as pedestrians gathered behind police tape and officers shut down part of the surrounding area. For a time, messages from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division warned people to stay away while investigators worked the scene. Downtown Los Angeles has long forced police and city leaders to juggle nightlife crowds, heavy traffic and close-set businesses where arguments can spill onto sidewalks in minutes. Sunday’s case also showed how quickly facts can shift in the first hours after a violent incident. Early descriptions varied on whether the stabbing happened inside the restaurant, outside it, or in both places, and whether one or more suspects left before officers secured the block. By Monday, officials were still describing the investigation as active.
Investigators had not filed formal charges as of Monday afternoon, but the case appeared to be moving toward booking recommendations tied to assault with a deadly weapon. Police had not said whether prosecutors would also review battery or other counts related to the reported bottle attack. It also remained unclear whether detectives had recovered both weapons, whether surveillance video from inside the restaurant captured the start of the fight, and whether alcohol played a role. Authorities had not said whether the restaurant bill was unpaid or whether the dispute centered on who would cover it. Detectives were expected to interview members of the party, employees and other witnesses, and to review security footage from nearby businesses along Seventh Street. Any charging decision would ultimately rest with prosecutors after police submit the case. Officials also had not announced a court date, a formal booking number or the custody status of the two people detained after the fight.
Beyond the immediate injuries, the case left restaurant staff and nearby businesses dealing with the sudden shock of a violent scene in the middle of normal dinner-hour traffic. The restaurant said the incident was beyond its control and added that the safety of guests and staff remained its highest priority. That statement, while brief, reflected how quickly service workers can be pulled into emergencies that begin as customer disputes. Neighbors described a heavy first-responder presence and a block crowded with onlookers as ambulances and police units converged. In television coverage, reporters described officers interviewing witnesses outside while paramedics treated victims in separate locations nearby. Those details suggested the fight did not remain confined to a single table or one corner of the restaurant. Police have not said whether anyone else was injured while trying to break up the fight, and they have not described any prior connection between the two people taken into custody and the women who were hurt.
For now, the known facts are narrower than the public attention around the case. Officials say a private gathering at Zaya ended in an argument, weapons were used, at least five women were hurt in some way, and two people were detained. Much else remains unsettled, including the exact trigger for the fight, who first used a weapon and whether more charges could follow as detectives finish interviews and review video. The next public milestone is likely to come when police or prosecutors identify the people in custody and announce whether charges have been formally filed.
Author note: Last updated March 23, 2026.