U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, has issued a stern warning, promising to target both juveniles and their parents following a violent altercation at a Chipotle restaurant in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard. This incident underscored a growing issue of youth-led disturbances in the capital.
“These gatherings are far from harmless—they’re violent and disruptive,” Pirro explained during a press conference on Monday. “The chaos witnessed at Chipotle over the weekend wasn’t just a matter of conflict between individuals. It involved outright property destruction and a complete takeover of the establishment by those who felt untouchable.”
Pirro emphasized that such behavior will not be tolerated any longer. “Let me explain our approach: this reign of terror will come to an end. The perception that lawlessness prevails in our streets is false. Our city belongs to its law-abiding citizens, not to unruly mobs seeking notoriety or stirring chaos for social media fame.”
The incident in question occurred on Saturday, May 16, 2026, when a group of teenagers engaged in a brawl inside the Chipotle in the Navy Yard area of Washington, D.C.
Addressing parents directly, Pirro declared, “You are not mere spectators in this crisis. Taxpayers are bearing the costs of increased policing and property repairs due to these illegal gatherings, which often result in noise, fights, robberies, and chaos. This stops now. Parents, you are financially responsible, and if you permit your teens to continue such behavior, we will hold you accountable and prosecute accordingly.”
Pirro said the Metro Police and the FBI are investigating.
In the shocking video of the fight, which Metro D.C. police say occurred Saturday night around 8:40 p.m., about eight adolescents can be seen throwing punches and hurling restaurant furniture at one another as innocent bystanders huddle for safety in the corner of the restaurant.
At the beginning of the video, one suspect in the fight wearing a plastic COVID-19 era mask can be seen beating another suspect with a children’s high chair, hitting him over the head with it twice and then throwing it at him. At another point in the video, a chair was launched across the store.
All of the suspects were dressed head-to-toe in black, with some wearing hoods and masks.
All the while, at least six people, including three young children, huddled behind a man in a red polo shirt in the corner of the restaurant.
The video began as the combatants were already fighting, and lasted for 33 seconds until some of the juveniles involved fled the store. The store was left in complete disarray.
Hundreds of teens swarmed a busy intersection in Washington D.C.’s Navy Yard on Sunday, April 12. (Elissa De Souza via Storyful)
“Witnesses reported one group of juveniles were inside of the establishment when another group entered and a fight broke out immediately,” MPD said in a Monday morning statement. “Both groups fled prior to the officer’s arrival. No injuries were reported.”
MPD says detectives are investigating, and invited anyone with information to come forward.
Friday night, Pirro announced that her office will crack down on parents of juveniles who wreak havoc in the streets of the nation’s capital. Teen takeovers, many involving massive brawls in the Navy Yard neighborhood, have been documented for years.
A large group of teenagers brawled in the streets of Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (Doug Hochberg/X)
“Teen takeovers have disrupted neighborhoods, forced businesses to close temporarily, and diverted valuable law enforcement resources from the residents of the District,” Pirro said in a statement. “These incidents have become increasingly common in areas such as Navy Yard and NoMa and are often accompanied by criminal conduct, including assaults, robberies, fights, and other disorderly behavior.”
She said that even though D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has imposed a juvenile curfew, more effort needs to be exerted to combat the youth rowdiness.
“The D.C. Council refuses to deal with the problem, and their lack of action creates an extremely dangerous situation for the people of the District and the teens themselves,” Pirro said. “Law-abiding taxpayers should not subsidize chaos caused by parental neglect. Parents do your job, or we will do ours.”
Adults can now be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor if their children are busted causing late-night chaos, according to the release.
Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, spoke during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 6, 2026. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Pirro elaborated further in a news conference on Friday.
“Starting today, my office will aggressively prosecute parents under D.C.’s curfew law,” she said. “It involves contributing to the delinquency of a minor. This statute makes it unlawful for an adult to enable, facilitate, or permit a minor to engage in delinquent acts.”
“At Chipotle, the health and safety of our employees and our guests is our highest priority,” Laurie Schalow, chief corporate affairs officer at Chipotle, told Fox News Digital. “We have zero tolerance for guests who behave recklessly in our restaurants and put others at risk. No team members or guests were physically injured, and we are actively supporting local law enforcement in their investigation of the incident.”