Ruby Arcos Delacruz has spoken out after she and her manager were attacked by a pair of moviegoers at a Los Angeles-area theater.
Delacruz, an employee at Regency Theatres in Van Nuys, said she was enforcing the cinema’s no-outside-food-and-drinks policy Tuesday night when a routine bag check exploded into violence. She asked to inspect a woman’s bag before allowing her inside and discovered four cans of beverages.
“I’m really sorry but we don’t allow outside drinks. I’m going to have to ask you to store that in your car,” Delacruz recalled telling the customer in an Instagram post.
The request apparently enraged the woman, who began hurling insults and calling Delacruz a “bitch” under her breath before handing the drinks to her male companion. He took them outside while the woman stayed behind and continued berating Delacruz over the theater’s rules, accusing her of talking behind her back.
When the couple returned, the woman allegedly struck Delacruz in the face multiple times as she attempted to reenter the theater. Delacruz’s manager rushed to intervene but became another target. The woman allegedly punched him, knocking his glasses to the ground, and then stomped on them. Her male companion joined the physical confrontation.
Video of the chaotic scene shows employees and the couple tangled in a physical altercation, with one worker apparently wielding a broomstick during the mayhem. Delacruz noted that security was on a break when the violence erupted, leaving employees scrambling for help.
“Thank god my manager was there and he defended me and himself the best that he could without having to throw punches,” Delacruz said. “The most he did was keep them at arm’s length.”
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers responded to a battery call at approximately 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. The suspects were reportedly still at the theater when police were called but had fled by the time officers arrived. Paramedics were requested for minor injuries, and officers filed a battery report. The case remains an open investigation and no arrests have been made.
The shaken employee later blasted the alleged attackers in a follow-up Instagram post.
“All for 4 fucking drinks. I tell her policy and she responds with violence,” she fumed. “I don’t get paid enough to deal with guests such as her and her boyfriend.”
The footage sparked outrage online, with commenters praising the workers for fighting back. “You deserve a raise, additional money for this traumatizing experience. Or leave because they don’t pay you enough to deal with this,” one person wrote. Another cheered the employee who appeared to jump into the fray with a broom. “I watched the broom stick part a few times 👏👏👏 was cheering lol,” the commenter wrote.
Regency Theatres did not immediately respond to a request for comment.