Owner stabbed, cook knocked out in early morning Chicago diner robbery

Owner stabbed, cook knocked out in early morning Chicago diner robbery An early morning smash-and-grab turned violent Monday on the Northwest Side after an intruder attacked two restaurant workers and stole cash before taking off. The Brief An intruder broke into Brothers Restaurant early Monday, attacked two people, and fled with cash. The owner said he was stabbed and a cook was knocked unconscious during the break-in. Chicago police are searching for the robber as the restaurant temporarily closes its doors. CHICAGO - An early morning smash-and-grab turned violent Monday on the Northwest Side after an intruder attacked two restaurant workers and stole cash before taking off. Brothers Restaurant violent burglary What we know: The break-in happened around 4:29 a.m. at Brothers Restaurant located in the 3000 block of W. Belmont Ave. Police said an unknown man broke through the glass front door, pulled out a sharp object, and demanded money before fighting two men inside. The intruder then sprayed a chemical irritant at the workers before grabbing cash and fleeing. Paramedics evaluated both victims at the scene and a 39-year-old man declined medical treatment from emergency medical services, police said. A 37-year-old man suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Swedish Hospital in fair condition. What they're saying: The restaurant owners took to social media hours after the attack to inform neighbors that the diner would be temporarily shut down. In a post on Instagram, the owners of Brothers Restaurant said: "We will be closed today Monday, November 9th due to violent robbery this morning. Not only was the cash register taken, but one of the owners stabbed, and a cook knocked unconscious. We hope to reopen this week." According to a family spokesperson, Mikky Wright, the restaurant owner and cook tried to fight off the suspect. The cook was struck in the head and knocked unconscious, while the owner was stabbed in the stomach and pepper-sprayed. The suspect then robbed both men, fleeing with their wallets and cash from the register. Both the owner and the cook are expected to make a full recovery but remain extremely shaken by the incident. Wright shared his message to the person responsible. "They tried to tackle him, hit the cook over the head, knocked him, pepper-sprayed Nester, the owner, and stabbed him. They surrendered their money, and [the assailants] grabbed all the money from the cash register," said Wright. "My message to their parents: Good job. To the assailants, we hope they find you, and we don't want this to happen to any other business." What we don't know: Authorities have not released a detailed description of the suspect, and no arrests have been announced. Police have not specified the type of chemical irritant used during the robbery or the exact amount of cash stolen. The Source: The information in this report came from the Chicago Police Department and a statement posted to Instagram by Brothers Restaurant. Avondale Crime and Public Safety News