Pilsen Restaurant Owner Accused of Beating an Undocumented Worker

A series of photos shared via social media on Wednesday show the battered face of an ex-employee at Canton Regio, a popular Mexican restaurant in Pilsen. The images show facial injuries that 42-year Guadalupe Vega sustained after an alleged fight between Canton Regio co-owner Daniel Gutierrez Jr. from Tuesday night at the restaurant. While he declined hospital care, Vega sustained swelling and a bloodied lip in the photos.

Vega’s step-daughter, Gabriela Nieves, posted photos to Facebook with a lengthy explanation. She and Vega accuse Gutierrez Jr. of abusing his employees at 1510 W. 18th Street. Nieves wrote that Guttierrez “is known for treating his employees like shit, and because [they’re undocumented immigrants] he knows they’ll be too scared to press charges.”

Read the full post below:

Nieves said they’ve made report with the.Chicago police, but didn’t use Gutierrez’s name. She said he pounded on her stepfather after employees brought beer into the restaurant on Tuesday while cleaning up for the night. Vega’s wife, Veronica Gonzalez, told Hoy that Gutierrez “takes advantage of his power” and the vulnerability of undocumented immigrants. They have little recourse in fighting back, she said. Despite fears about immigration status, the family felt they needed to publicize the incident.

Police did confirm a police report had been filed. The owners of Canton Regio ran Nuevo Leon, a critically acclaimed Mexican restaurant that burned down in 2015 after 53 years. Canton Regio effectively replaced the fire-ravaged restaurant.

A Canton Regio manager told Hoy on Thursday that they’re still sorting out what happened. Meanwhile, Nieves’ post, published on Wednesday, had been shared more then 2,000 times as of Thursday afternoon. Commenters were sad about Latino versus Latino violence. Some advised the family to press charges or to retain an immigration attorney.

• Gabriela Nieves [Facebook]
• Employee of Canton Regio accuses owner of ongoing abuse to immigrant workers [Hoy]