Applebee’s diners ditch bill, resist cops, police say

Nassau County police said two Brooklyn men whose credit cards were declined at a Valley Stream Applebee’s left the restaurant without paying their bill on Thursday and then returned to the restaurant to fight with police officers.

Isiah Peters, 18, of Sterling Place, and Leon E. Thomas, 19, of Hawthorne Street, are charged with possession of a forged instrument, theft of services, endangering the welfare of a minor and resisting arrest, police said.

Peters also is charged with assault, police said.

Each is scheduled to be arraigned Friday at First District in Hempstead.

Detectives said the two men and a 5-year-old boy, a family member, ate about $50 worth of food at the restaurant at the Green Acres Mall and were going to leave just before 10 p.m.

When the tried to pay the bill, their cards were declined, and they left without paying.

A police spokeswoman said Friday it’s unclear why, but the two men returned to the restaurant and police were called.

When officers tried to arrest the men for not paying their bill, both “began to violently resist” by fighting with officers, according to a news release.

In a struggle, one officer sustained a sprained right thumb and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

At the precinct, Peters again “violently struggled with officers as they attempted to secure him in the holding cell,” the release said.

When each man was searched during their arrest they had in their possession forged credit cards, police said.

The 5-year-old was released to family, police said.