Photo by Davin Tarr
Erik Bruner-Yang, the chef at the madly popular H Street NE ramen restaurant Toki Underground, and his wife, Seda Nak, were arrested Wednesday morning in a domestic dispute at the Petworth home of the chef’s ex-girlfriend.
Washingtonian reports that Bruner-Yang and Nak, who were married earlier this month, allegedly invaded the home and assaulted Bruner-Yang’s ex-girlfriend and fiancé. A police report obtained by the magazine states the incident began about 6:45 a.m. when Bruner-Yang, 28, and Nak, 27, showed up at the residence.
The responding officer’s report alleges that after the ex-girlfriend opened the door, Nak “rushed in her house and pushed her.” As they entered the house, the victim’s fiancé became involved, pushing Nak out of the house. He then went outside and asked the couple to leave, whereupon Bruner-Yang swung and hit the fiancé in the head with a “closed fist,” according to the police report. Nak then tried to hit him unsuccessfully, before Bruner-Yang “jumped on his back and began to choke” the fiancé, the report says. That knocked the fiancé to the ground, where Nak allegedly kicked and punched him, before she and Bruner-Yang fled the scene.
The fiancé suffered a minor injury, Washingtonian reports.
The charging document filed against Bruner-Yang and Nak states that when they arrived at the victims’ house, Nak yelled out “What do you want to say now? What do you want to do now?” The fiancé told police that Bruner-Yang and Nak allegedly also started screaming threats toward the house.
“I’ll kill you, blah, blah, blah,” Bruner-Yang and Nak allegedly yelled, according to criminal offense statements. After that, the fiancé stepped out of the house, upon which Bruner-Yang allegedly swung a punch that grazed him. Nak allegedly followed with an attack of her own. The report goes on to state that Bruner-Yang allegedly jumped on the fiancé’s back and wrestled to the ground where Nak allegedly started punching and kicking him across his body.
Bruner-Yang was arraigned today in D.C. Superior Court. Bruner-Yang pleaded not guilty to a charge of simple assault and was released on his own recognizance. He was also ordered to stay away from his ex-girlfriend’s home. Bruner-Yang is due back in court on July 12.
