Saugus police say four people are being charged for their roles in a brawl at Kowloon Restaurant on the night before Thanksgiving.
The Kowloon in Saugus, Massachusetts, has been in the headlines of late for a pre-Thanksgiving brawl that went viral on social media and the accidental death of a patron in its parking lot.
The landmark Route 1 restaurant -- located less than 10 miles from Boston -- has been around since the 1950s, and is a popular spot for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and holiday gatherings.
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The two recent incidents were unusual for the restaurant, which has not generally been a problem for local authorities.
Here's what we know about the two incidents so far:
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Kowloon brawl breaks out on Thanksgiving eve
Saugus police said a fight broke out around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22. Six officers who were already working at the restaurant as part of a detail were able to deescalate the situation.
State troopers arrived on scene shortly after, but Saugus police had already broken up the fight. State police did stay to help disperse the crowd, as restaurant management decided to close the bar and restaurant early because of the bloody melee.
Video shared on social media showed a truly chaotic scene, looking more like a fight club than a restaurant, with people throwing punches and bloodied faces.
“The Kowloon is a family-friendly restaurant, unfortunately a few unruly patrons ruined a nice evening for many others," Saugus police Chief Michael Ricciardelli said in a statement. "A disturbance such as this on Thanksgiving Eve is unacceptable and disgusting.”
No arrests were made on the night of the brawl, but Saugus police announced over a week later that four people had been charged.
How did the Kowloon fight start?
We learned more about what started the Nov. 22 fight when one of the people charged in connection with brawl appeared in court Tuesday.
Prosecutors said 32-year-old Rosaria Sophia McCauley, of North Reading, hit two men in the face with a glass bottle after one of them allegedly bumped into her boyfriend. Some of the incident was caught on camera.
"The defendant created an incredibly dangerous situation. This was a crowded night at the Kowloon, the night before Thanksgiving. Things obviously got out of hand," Assistant District Attorney Kevin Hennessey said in court Tuesday.
McCauley's lawyer told the judge the video does not show how the fight started. He argued the group came after his client first. He also said the Kowloon should take some responsibility, since the men she's accused of hitting are only 19 years old and should not have been allowed to drink in the first place.
"Not only do they have a case against these co-defendants. They also have a case against the bar," attorney Todd Siegal said.
Three others, including McCauley's boyfriend, are also charged in connection to the fight. She was released on her own recognizance Tuesday and is due back in court next month.
The other three suspects have yet to appear in court.
Man dies in Kowloon parking lot
Ten days after the brawl at the Kowloon, on Saturday, Dec. 2, police were called to a report of a stabbing in Kowloon's parking lot. The stabbing reportedly occurred around 9 p.m. outside the restaurant.
A large section of the parking lot was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape just outside the restaurant's front entrance. Some patrons' cars were inside the taped off crime scene.
"It looked like I saw a little bit of blood so I kept walking and then I saw a guy over there on the ground and I could just you know hear him gasping for breath and stuff, and I just hope he's alright you know what I mean?" one witness told NBC10 Boston in the aftermath of the incident. "I just hope the guy made it you know what I mean because it didn't sound good."
The victim, identified by police as 42-year-old Patrick Kenney Jr., of Milton, later died of his injuries. He was at the Kowloon for a birthday party with about 30 other people.
Investigators announced the next day that Kenney didn't die of a stabbing after all, but as the result of a freak accident. They still haven't said exactly what happened, though a high-level source told NBC10 Boston that the victim had a knife attached to a lanyard around his neck when he was fatally injured.
The investigation into Kenney's death remains active and ongoing, according to police.
Who is Patrick Kenney Jr.?
Family members said they were devastated by the loss. They said Kenney worked for FEMA and he and his wife were raising 2-year-old twins.
"Our family is mourning the loss of Patrick, focused on his wife Lauren and two young children, and trying to make sense of this horrific tragedy. Patrick was a loving father and husband, brother, son and loyal friend to many," the family said in a statement released Sunday.
His obituary said he approached life the way he played football -- "full speed ahead with fierce determination and infectious joy in life that he shared wtih family, friends, teammates and coworkers."
He played footall at Boston College High School and the University of Maine. After college, he joined FEMA, where he served on the front lines, managing a variety of disasters from Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey to storms in Puerto Rico. At the age of 37, he suffered a series of strokes that changed the course of his life.
"He was a great father," his wife, Lauren, said in the obituary. "I feel like he wanted to live life to the fullest after that because he knew tomorrow wasn't promised."
Will anything happen to Kowloon?
Bob Wong, whose family owns the institution along Massachusetts Route 1, said Kowloon is especially busy on the night before Thanksgiving, and there is good and bad that comes along with that.
"You know we’re not really known for a place with people getting drunk and having fights," he said. "Back in the old days, it would’ve just been a fight. But because social media is involved, it becomes bigger than it is. It’s a little more sensationalized, I guess."
Wong said he knew the videos that were posted online of the disturbance will get more clicks because of the name recognition of the restaurant, but said that even with extra precautions, there was no way of predicting when emotions might boil over.
"Every once in a while, you get two people together whether it’s here, at a football game, anywhere," he said. "It can happen anywhere, it could happen in your own house -- you've got family members who don’t get along."
Saugus Select Board Chair Debra Panetta has said previously that the town's elected leaders are waiting on a detailed report from police that will help them decide if any action should be taken against the establishment’s liquor license.
The second incident appears to have been a freak accident, but Wong said he was heartbroken by what happened. He said some members of Kenney's family are regulars at his restaurant and are wonderful people.
"I know they're going through a tough period," he said. "We should really focus on them."
