A Delafield restaurant owner has been charged after prosecutors alleged he sexually assaulted two employees, according to a criminal complaint filed July 28.
Llazar Konda, 49, of Pewaukee, faces two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault after accusations he touched the butts of two women. If convicted on both counts and given the maximum penalties, Konda faces up to 18 months in jail and $20,000 in fines.
Around 8:30 p.m. June 15, a Delafield police officer met with a woman in her young 20s who said she had worked at Belfrē Kitchen, 606 N. Genesee St., since May 2024. She said the restaurant underwent an ownership change in May 2026 and was now owned by Konda.
The woman said Konda was known among employees as affectionate and "touchy," often giving prolonged hugs and holding staff members' hands afterward. She also said Konda would frequently touch employees' backs or waists as he walked by them.
On June 12, the woman was working during the restaurant's grand reopening celebration. Konda was also celebrating his birthday with his girlfriend and friends, and the woman said the group drank alcohol while at the restaurant.
During her shift, the woman said the way Konda looked at her made her uncomfortable, prompting her to take longer routes through the restaurant and use different doors to avoid being near him. Despite her efforts, she said Konda repeatedly called her away from tables and other servers to speak with her.
The woman said that over several hours, Konda told her how beautiful she looked and asked for her phone number; wrapped his arm around her while she was taking customers' orders and said something to the effect of, "Isn't she so cute?"; asked her to get drinks with him the next night; and put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer in a way that made her believe he was going to kiss her.
Later that night, the woman said she was standing with several other servers when Konda approached her from behind, put his arm around her waist and began rubbing her back. She said Konda moved his hand down her arm toward her hand, which was in her back pants pocket, before moving his hand onto her buttocks and rubbing it for about 10 seconds.
The woman told police she believed the contact was intentional because of how long it lasted. A coworker who witnessed the incident later told her Konda's actions were unacceptable and instructed other employees not to leave the woman alone for the remainder of the night.
The woman learned that a bartender had also accused Konda of grabbing her buttocks that night.
The woman reported the incidents to the restaurant's general manager, who told her she would speak with Konda the following day because he was too intoxicated at the time. The manager also allegedly told the woman that similar behavior had happened before.
Before the woman left the restaurant, she said Konda approached her again while she was counting her tips. She told police Konda rubbed her shoulder and began pulling at her bra strap while asking, "What's going on over here?" The woman told investigators she quit her job that night and did not return to work for Konda.
Police interviewed the restaurant's general manager June 16. The manager told investigators she believed the allegations made by the two women and said she had previously seen Konda being "touchy/feely" with other women. The manager also said Konda was heavily intoxicated the night of the incidents.
The manager told police she confronted Konda on the afternoon of June 13 about his behavior.
"I was under the influence and I don't remember," Konda allegedly told her.
The bartender also spoke with police and corroborated part of the woman's account. She told investigators she witnessed Konda move his hand down the woman's back and arm before placing his hand on her buttocks.
The bartender then described her own encounter with Konda. She said she was polishing glasses behind the bar around 10 p.m. when Konda approached her, placed his hand on her upper back and moved it toward her lower back before squeezing her buttocks as he walked behind her.
The bartender told police the contact felt deliberate and that she had not consented. She also said Konda appeared heavily intoxicated based on the way he was walking and speaking.
Konda's initial court appearance is scheduled Aug. 20.
Adrienne Davis is a general assignment and breaking news reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at [email protected]. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Delafield restaurant owner charged with sexually assaulting employees