Maybe this happened, though given the generations of Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans who have moved to the NY-NJ area for more decades than I've been alive, I doubt hearing a person speaking Spanish would be particularly remarkable. One report about the incident mentioned that the couple paid in cash. That means that, unlike previous hoaxes that have been exposed, the accused person(s) cannot be identified via their credit card and expose the hoax. As a DUpipo would intone, "Very convenient!"
But maybe the server and owner gave enough details that if the couple exists they can speak out, either to confirm or contradict the accusation. Given the recent history of hoaxes, the fact that Spanish would not be an unfamiliar sound in NJ, and what could be an effort to make verification difficult, I think the duty staff at that restaurant that day should be given the "The Quick Brown Fox" test by the police if they've been called in on this. As I've said at various times, hoaxes give camouflage to the real.
