A fake food influencer who tormented New York City restaurants in a brazen dine-and-dash spree sparked a fresh scene Monday night at the luxury apartment building she once called home – months after being evicted over $40,000 in unpaid rent.

Pei Chung, 35, was arrested multiple times late last year for allegedly skipping out on at least eight hefty restaurant tabs across Brooklyn – often while dressed head-to-toe in designer clothes – in a shameless campaign that lasted more than a month.

Chung, originally from Taiwan, was ultimately charged with five counts of theft of service and held on Rikers Island. Those charges were dropped earlier this month after a judge found her mentally unfit to stand trial and she was released to a psychiatric center on March 12.

But on Monday night, police were called to the ritzy waterfront building at 416 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg at 6.30pm after a doorman reported a hostile former tenant causing a disturbance in the lobby and refusing to leave.

The Daily Mail has learned the ex-tenant was Chung.

The petite aspiring influencer was spotted by bystanders sitting on a gray couch in the lobby, clutching a large brown envelope as two NYPD officers stood nearby.

Paramedics were also called and Chung eventually left willingly in an ambulance, according to an NYPD spokesperson. She was transported to a local psychiatric center and held for evaluation.

Pei ‘Lu’ Chung, 35, was arrested and charged for allegedly skipping out large restaurant tabs across Williamsburg last year

Chung (pictured in November) was released to a state hospital earlier this year after a judge ruled her unfit to stand trial 

A public defender who previously represented Chung did not respond to a request for comment.

Chung was evicted from 416 Kent in early December while still in custody on Rikers, after defaulting on more than $40,000 in rent. 

She had lived in the building since 2021 but stopped paying on her $3,350-a-month studio in August 2024, records show.

The reality of her financial arrears stood in stark contrast to the glamorous lifestyle she projected online.

Her Instagram was filled with images of shopping hauls at Hermès and Prada, softly lit mirror selfies and carefully plated meals from some of New York City’s most sought-after restaurants.

Chung first gained notoriety in October last year – for all the wrong reasons.

Over a four week period, she was arrested seven times for allegedly running up large tabs at popular Williamsburg restaurants and attempting to barter with staff by offering to post photos of her meals on social media instead of paying.

When restaurants refused, she allegedly declined to pay. On some occasions, police escorted her out in handcuffs. On others, she slipped out before officers arrived.

While Chung’s alleged antics came as a shock to many within Brooklyn’s restaurant scene, some of her neighbors said they were unsurprised.

Several previously told the Daily Mail she had been tormenting residents for months with erratic behavior, including late-night screaming fits, blasting music so loudly the walls shook, and allegedly vandalizing doors and hallways.

Chung moved into the luxury waterfront building along Kent Avenue in 2021. She stopped paying rent in August 2024 and was ordered to leave by December 1 

The Daily Mail caught Chung in the act in November after she was ejected from the Australian restaurant, Hole in the Wall 

Chung documented some of her disputes with neighbors on Instagram.

In posts and stories, she railed against a ‘black family’ on her floor, accusing them of closing their door ‘too loudly.’ Other clips show her grinning as deafening music blares or peering into the hallway while making noises.

Residents said they repeatedly complained to building management, raising concerns for their safety, but claim little action was taken. Instead, they say they were told they could break their leases if they felt unsafe.

A request for comment from building management was not returned, though two residents shared screenshots of messages and emails outlining their concerns.

‘I believe she’s capable of just about anything, and I am genuinely shaken up and thoroughly uncomfortable,’ one neighbor wrote in April 2025, describing ‘a lot of loud noise and screaming’ from Chung’s apartment.

A building manager responded: ‘As I have mentioned, there is an active legal case against her. The courts are ridiculously slow and very sympathetic. If you ever feel threatened, you should absolutely call 911.’

While Chung was on Rikers, law enforcement and building management boxed up her belongings and hauled them into a moving truck on December 2

Chung’s Instagram page is filled with glamorous snaps showing the petite influencer decked from head to toe in designer gear

On December 2, law enforcement and building management were seen in exclusive Daily Mail images boxing up Chung’s belongings and loading them into a moving truck.

At the time, she remained in custody on Rikers Island.

What ultimately happened to her belongings is unclear. Typically, during a City Marshal eviction, a tenant’s possessions are transferred to a licensed moving and storage company, which inventories and transports them to an off-site facility.

Tenants are then notified how to reclaim their property – usually by paying moving and storage fees. If the items are not retrieved within a set period, they can be auctioned off or discarded to satisfy the debt.

The nature of Chung’s dispute with the doorman on Monday night remains unclear.

She left the building still clutching a large brown envelope – but otherwise empty-handed.