A former Chili’s employee is facing multiple felony charges after police say he drove a stolen Honda Civic through the front of the Carlisle restaurant where he used to work, then threw rocks through its windows while employees watched. No one was hurt, but the Houser Lane location is now closed indefinitely while crews assess the damage.
According to the Carlisle Borough Police Department, the incident began early Thursday morning when officers took a report of a stolen 2012 silver Honda Civic from the 100 block of East High Street at 4:40 a.m. Investigators identified the man behind the theft as Nathaniel Boles, setting off a chain of events that ended less than five hours later in a wrecked restaurant front.
At about 9:06 a.m., Carlisle police were dispatched to Chili’s at 2 Houser Lane after reports that a disgruntled ex-employee had driven a vehicle through the front of the building and was throwing rocks through the glass windows, police said. Officers took Boles into custody without incident, and all employees were confirmed to be unharmed, according to the same police account.
Restaurant Left With Moderate Damage, No Reopening Date
Police said the Chili’s building sustained moderate damage and will be temporarily closed as a result. A manager at the restaurant told PennLive that staff do not yet have an estimate on when they’ll reopen.
Workers at the restaurant reportedly recognized Boles immediately, telling investigators he had been fired from the Houser Lane location a few weeks earlier, per a report from Local 21 News. The station’s report does not detail what, if anything, prompted Thursday’s outburst beyond that prior termination.
Charges Stack Up Following the Crash
Boles faces a lengthy list of charges stemming from the stolen vehicle report and the crash that followed. The police report lists two counts of aggravated assault, risking catastrophe, five counts of recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and driving while suspended on a DUI-suspended license. Those are charges filed by police, not findings of guilt.
The string of charges reflects how quickly a stolen car at 4:40 in the morning turned into a scene at the restaurant by midmorning, with officers managing both the property damage and the safety risk to anyone inside or near the restaurant. Carlisle Borough Police have not indicated whether additional charges could follow as the investigation continues.
