A girls night out turned into a sickening experience for two single mothers who claim they were dosed with drugs at a Dallas gastropub.

Best friends Breyanna Knox and Nakia Robertson spoke at a press conference organized by the nonprofit Next Generation Action Network on Thursday to warn the public about an alleged drugging incident that occurred at a popular dancing venue and restaurant in Deep Ellum called Harlowe MXM. Their families were at the press conference in support.

As Knox recounted in a social media post, she and Robertson went to Harlowe MXM for an evening of dancing on November 25. She explained that while waiting in line outside the establishment in the rain, the security guard asked how badly they wanted to go inside, suggesting that if they “showed love to the bartender and ordered some drinks,” he would let them through.

The two 29-year-olds agreed and headed to the bar, where the bartender gave them each three rounds of shots for free. As Knox explained, she did not think anything of it until she “felt drunk, spacey, and nothing made sense.” When they tried to leave and go home, they realized that Robertson’s car keys had gone missing. The women ended up calling friends to come pick them up.

Knox said the security guard from the door later texted her, even though she did not recall giving him her phone number or reporting the missing keys. He said the keys had not been found and suggested she get a ride to his house while they “figured things out.”

The following day, both women went to the ER to have toxicology reports conducted and have their systems flushed. The lab found amphetamine in Knox’s system, she disclosed, according to WFAA. This is a stimulant commonly prescribed to those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, although it is also sold illicitly as speed, according to the DEA.

“It really hurts me, the fact that you can’t even feel comfortably going out at night to just have a nice time out with your best friend … and scared that you might not make it home to your children,” Robertson said during the press conference.

Knox and Robertson filed reports with the Dallas Police Department, which is now conducting an investigation. They also alerted Harlowe MXM about the assault.

The owners of Harlowe MXM, Cindy and Jim Hughes, who also own Henry’s Majestic, told WFAA that they launched their own probe into the incident.

“Since being notified [November 26], we have been diligently investigating these allegations. Our contracted security company and management team have been interviewing staff, viewing video, and trying to come to some sort of conclusion as to what may have happened,” they said in a statement.

“We have operated restaurants in Dallas for thirty years and have never experienced a situation remotely resembling this,” the statement continued. “I assure you we are as committed to learning the truth as Ms. Robertson and Ms. Knox, and to the extent we’re able, we will assist law enforcement in helping them get to the bottom of what happened.”

The alleged drugging incident happened in Council Member Jesse Moreno’s District 2. Alongside Council Member Omar Narvaez’s District 6, District 2 has seen the most drug offenses in Dallas year to date. As of December 1, 1,316 had been logged in District 2 and 1,525 in District 6, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.

As previously covered by The Dallas Express, drug offenses across Dallas are on the rise due to a longstanding office shortage within DPD. Only around 3,000 officers are currently sworn in, which is considerably short of the roughly 4,000 recommended as an ideal staffing number by a City analysis.

Downtown Dallas has seen considerable hikes in different types of criminal activity, from drugs to motor vehicle thefts. Compared to Fort Worth’s downtown area, which is patrolled by a special neighborhood police unit that works alongside private security guards, the crime rate in Downtown Dallas is significantly higher.