El Vaquero employees detained
Nathan Becker
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: News
"They took all the W4s, W2s - everything having to do with employees," Lopez said. "They took the computers, too."
The restaurant reopened Saturday, but Lopez said business has been down about 60 percent since the restaurant closed.
"Customers need to understand we don't have any control," said Lopez, who also noted that he doesn't pay any employee in cash and had no way of knowing whether or not an employee was an illegal immigrant.
"Everybody here gets checks," he said. "... It was nothing to do with the restaurant or the owner. It was to do with the employees."
Graduate student Kim Brockgreitens said her group of about 15 had reservations at the restaurant for 12:45 on Friday. She said she thought it was odd to find the restaurant's front door locked during lunchtime.
"A FedEx truck pulled up to make a delivery," she said. "The driver got out and knocked on the front door, and a uniformed officer came to the door and said that El Vaquero was closed and that we had to leave."
A similar raid was conducted in January on an El Vaquero restaurant Lopez used to own in Wentzville, he said. Lopez said he sold the restaurant at the beginning of the year before the shutdown was conducted at that restaurant. He now owns only the Kirksville and Hannibal, Mo., El Vaqueros.
Lopez said the only way he can think to avoid a problem like this in the future is not to hire Mexicans to work at the restaurant. He said that's something he's "pretty much" going to do.
"It's going to be kind of weird not having Mexicans at a Mexican restaurant," he said.
Williams said the detained individuals won't stay in the Adair County Detention Center for long because it is not a federal holding institution.
"If they can't produce citizenship, they will be transferred to St. Louis and then potentially deported," Williams said.
Lopez said comments on other local media's Web articles about the bust were disappointing. He said the comments wrongly accuse him and the restaurant and are generally too harsh.
"There's no reason to judge someone that hard," he said.
The restaurant reopened Saturday, but Lopez said business has been down about 60 percent since the restaurant closed.
"Customers need to understand we don't have any control," said Lopez, who also noted that he doesn't pay any employee in cash and had no way of knowing whether or not an employee was an illegal immigrant.
"Everybody here gets checks," he said. "... It was nothing to do with the restaurant or the owner. It was to do with the employees."
Graduate student Kim Brockgreitens said her group of about 15 had reservations at the restaurant for 12:45 on Friday. She said she thought it was odd to find the restaurant's front door locked during lunchtime.
"A FedEx truck pulled up to make a delivery," she said. "The driver got out and knocked on the front door, and a uniformed officer came to the door and said that El Vaquero was closed and that we had to leave."
A similar raid was conducted in January on an El Vaquero restaurant Lopez used to own in Wentzville, he said. Lopez said he sold the restaurant at the beginning of the year before the shutdown was conducted at that restaurant. He now owns only the Kirksville and Hannibal, Mo., El Vaqueros.
Lopez said the only way he can think to avoid a problem like this in the future is not to hire Mexicans to work at the restaurant. He said that's something he's "pretty much" going to do.
"It's going to be kind of weird not having Mexicans at a Mexican restaurant," he said.
Williams said the detained individuals won't stay in the Adair County Detention Center for long because it is not a federal holding institution.
"If they can't produce citizenship, they will be transferred to St. Louis and then potentially deported," Williams said.
Lopez said comments on other local media's Web articles about the bust were disappointing. He said the comments wrongly accuse him and the restaurant and are generally too harsh.
"There's no reason to judge someone that hard," he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Lori
Lori
posted 4/03/08 @ 11:54 AM CST
First off, I'm curious as to the use of the word "sting" in describing the incident. To me that word suggests a situation that is set up by a government agency that a person walks into unknowingly. (Continued…)
Phil Jarrett
posted 4/03/08 @ 11:54 PM CST
Lori,
I think you make a good point about the responsibility of employers and perhaps this misuse of the word "sting." From my understanding, Mr. Lopez was actually no longer owned the restaurant that was raided in January, though. (Continued…)
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