Police in Ohio said they arrested a server at a Japanese restaurant who allegedly squirted sake, a Japanese rice wine, into the mouth of a 2-year-old.

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Jackson Township Police Chief David Zink said a Massillon couple were dining Friday night with their 2-year-old son at the Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse and server Ming Yang Zhu was squirting sake into the mouths of adults with a squeezable bottle of the beverage, the Canton (Ohio) Repository reported Tuesday.

The couple said the server joked about whether their son was the legal drinking age, 21, when he first visited their table. They said Zhu again joked about the toddler's age when he returned later in their meal, but this time he squirted sake into the 2-year-old's mouth.

"He started crying, saying it burned," Zink said.

He said the couple's story was backed up by two witnesses.

Zhu was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of furnishing alcohol to a minor. He could face up to six months in jail if convicted.