Sushi Ya Meat Cleaver Attack Resolved With Plea

JOLIET, IL — Fifteen months after the owner of Sushi Ya stabbed his cook's hand with a meat cleaver and chased after him there is peace and harmony inside the popular West Jefferson Street restaurant again.

At the time of his arrest, 54-year-old Joliet resident Xiong Zheng faced two felony counts of aggravated battery, for causing severe lacerations to his employee, police reports state.

On Tuesday, the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow dismissed the felony charges against Zheng. Under Tuesday's agreement, the owner of Sushi Ya pleaded guilty to battery, a misdemeanor. Will County Circuit Judge Vincent Cornelius sentenced Zheng to one year of court supervision. The original criminal complaint stated that Zheng knowingly caused bodily harm to Branden Bruzzo at Sushi Ya, "in that he struck Branden Bruzzo about the hand with a meat cleaver," on Jan. 7, 2020.

Bruzzo appeared at the Will County Courthouse Tuesday and told the courtroom that he did not want Zheng, who is his long-time boss, prosecuted for a felony crime, said Bob Bodach, the Joliet criminal defense lawyer from The Tomczak Law Group who represented the owner of Sushi Ya during the past 15 months.

"We're thankful to the State's Attorney's Office that they saw fit to dismiss the felony charges," Bodach told Joliet Patch. "It was certainly a defensible case. It's unsure who was the real aggressor here."

Because Zheng speaks little English, a Mandarin language courtroom interpreter was at the Will County Courthouse for Tuesday's plea and sentencing, Bodach said.

Bruzzo has continued to work as a cook with Sushi Ya, and the two men have resolved their differences, Bodach said.

"They are working together regularly," Bodach said. "Mr. Bruzzo and Mr. Zheng have had a good working relationship over the past eights years including the past 15 months during the pendency of this case. Tempers flare in a high-stressed environment of a fast-moving restaurant kitchen, so we are happy that the State agreed to dismiss the felony charges."

Sushi Ya is located at 2721 West Jefferson St. It's one of the Joliet area's most popular sushi restaurants, with 792 Google Reviews.

Last year, Joliet Patch obtained access to the Joliet police reports as a result of Freedom of Information Act request. The documents show three Joliet officers responded to the stabbing while Sushi Ya was busy serving its dinner time crowd around 6 p.m.

"While cooking, a verbal altercation had broke out between the two which led to Zheng putting his hand on Bruzzo's shoulder and Bruzzo hitting Zheng in the neck," Joliet police reports show.

"The video then shows Zheng had grabbed the meat cleaver and swung once hitting Bruzzo in his hand. Zheng then followed Bruzzo around the counter and swung again at Bruzzo, but missing Bruzzo."

According to further police reports, "Bruzzo had thrown multiple strikes toward Zheng while Zheng had the meat cleaver. The video then shows Zheng chasing Bruzzo out of the kitchen through the back door with another unknown object."

Zheng spent about 24 hours in the Will County Jail prior to his wife posting 10 percent of his $10,000 bail to regain his freedom.

Bruzzo did not go to jail. He was released on a $1,500 I-bond on a misdemeanor battery charge. The Will County State's Attorney's Office did not pursue criminal charges against Bruzzo.