Crime & Safety
Former Plainfield Bartender Charged After Fight at Uptown: Police
Brawling bartender to cops: "You must be here to arrest me."
A former bartender was arrested after allegedly getting into a scuffle with a former coworker at at Uptown Eatery & Tap, 24035 W. Lockport St., according to police.
Stephanie Cottrell, 27, of the 14000 block of Illinois St. in Plainfield, and boyfriend Randy Roberts, 38, of the 23000 block of Lakewood in Lake Zurich, were both charged with battery stemming from an incident just before midnight on Jan. 15.
Plainfield Sgt. Mike Fisher said Cottrell, a former employee who "didn't leave on good terms," entered the bar and began taunting a female bartender.
"Apparently the girl's mother had passed away," Fisher said. "[Cottrell] was literally giving her sarcasm about her mother passing away."
When the bartender went outside to get away from Cottrell's taunts, police said the former employee followed her outside. Meanwhile, Cottrell's boyfriend got into a verbal confrontation with the bartender's boyfriend, who told him to knock off the taunting, according to Fisher. That escalated into a physical fight, police said.
"The bartender comes back inside, and now she sees Cottrell's boyfriend with a choke hold on her boyfriend," Fisher said. When she attempted to step in, Cottrell grabbed her by the hair, and a fight ensued, according to police.
Bar patrons were able to separate the brawling bartenders and their boyfriends, according to police.
Fisher said footage from bar surveillance cameras backed up the Uptown employee's side of the story, and Cottrell and Roberts were taken into custody and charged with battery.
Upon the arrival of police, Cottrell was apparently unfazed. "You must be here to arrest me," she told officers, Fisher said.
No one was injured in the scuffle, police said.
Editor's note: Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.
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