Bridgeport man charged with assault, theft of restaurant tip jar

BRIDGEPORT – A state prosecutor upped the charges on a local man who police said stole the tip jar from a Chinese restaurant at knifepoint.

Dontrell Jean, 26, of Robert Street, was initially charged with larceny charges for the Saturday incident.

But Assistant State’s Attorney Justina Moore told Superior Court Judge Peter McShane during Jean’s arraignment hearing Tuesday that she was now charging him with first-degree robbery and second-degree assault.

“These are very serious allegations,” she told the judge.

The judge then ordered Jean held in lieu of $25,000 bond and continued the case to Feb. 23.

According to police, on Saturday evening officers were dispatched to Tai Jiang Restaurant on Boston Avenue for a robbery complaint.

Police said the owner of the restaurant said a man, who was later identified as Jean, had entered the restaurant and inquired about ordering food. However, the man suddenly snatched the tip jar from the restaurant counter and ran out.

Police said the owner and an employee chased after him and ended up getting into a struggle over the tip jar. The struggle ended when police said Jean pulled out a knife. They said he then fled with the jar, containing about $20.

Police said the owner of the restaurant suffered a minor injury in the struggle.

A short time later police said they received a complaint that a man was trespassing at an East Main Street restaurant. When officers got there, they spotted Jean and took him into custody, police said. Police said Jean admitted taking the tip jar.