Detroit cop part of group charged with leaving $500 bill at Japanese steakhouse

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - FOX 2 recently showed surveillance video of a $500 dine and dash by a large group at a Macomb County Japanese steakhouse.

That video helped police track down some of the people involved. Two women are facing charges including a Detroit police officer.

The large group sat at the table racking up a bill of more than $500 then casually walked out. They didn't realize a security camera was watching the whole time.

It was a Mother's Day meal for a family of 10 adults and a handful of kids who filled their faces at Sagano Japanese Steakhouse in Warren - then asked for five separate tabs.

The server was never able to deliver the checks, because the group had walked out on the $530 bill.

Investigators, say no question it was a dine and dash.

"We don't get this very often, I can't remember the last time we had a dine and dash and I certainly can't one that was $500," said Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith.

Smith says after surveillance video ran on FOX 2 last Friday, tips came in leading investigators to a female Detroit police officer - who is now facing a misdemeanor for the crime.

"It's really disappointing on a lot of levels," Smith said. "You hear dine and dashes from kids in high school doing this, maybe college, but not law enforcement doing something like this."

The day after FOX 2's story aired - someone came to Sagano and paid that big bill saying to restaurant staff that they were a 'friend' of the party who walked out.

It turns out, Smith says - it was the DPD officer herself.

"The fact that none of them - particularly a law enforcement officer - didn't think it through and say maybe we shouldn't do this," Smith said.

"I was surprised they been charged for this crime but I thought after they paid everything was done," said Yukio Oki, restaurant manager.

We broke the news to restaurant manager Oki who says he hopes they learned their lesson.

"As far as I'm concerned they paid, they apologized, and I would like to forget about it," he said.

The officer and another woman in the group are facing a 90-day misdemeanor. They are expected to be in court Thursday.

Detroit police have launched an internal investigation and put that officer on restricted, no gun status.

"The customer is right normally," Oki said. "But this time, they are not."