Popeye’s Manager Fired: Pregnant Woman Robbed, Then Fired When She Couldn’t Pay Back The Stolen Money

A pregnant woman claims she was fired from her job at a Texas Popeye’s restaurant for refusing to pay back the money an armed robber stole from the store, KHOU (Houston) is reporting.

Marissa Holcomb, who is pregnant with her fourth child, was working as manager at the Popeye’s location in Channelview, Texas on the afternoon of March 31 when an armed robber entered the restaurant.

The robber entered the store and began waving a gun, forcing all of the employees to the floor. Marissa explains what happened next.

“By the back of my shirt, he pulled me up and he pushed me to the front. He told me to give him everything out of my safe.”

Holcomb wasn’t able to access the safe, but instead gave the armed robber the money that was in the registers. He got away with about $400.

As if living through an armed robbery wasn’t enough for the working mom, Marissa’s real problems began two days after the robbery, according to The New York Daily News. Her bosses told her that it was on her to pay back the money that was robbed from the store. She refused.

“I told them I’m not paying nothing. I just had a gun to me. I’m not paying the money.”

She was fired.

For their part, the franchise that owns the Popeye’s location where the woman worked – identified as Z&H Foods Inc. – claimed that she wasn’t fired specifically for refusing to pay back the stolen money. Rather, it was because she violated company policy by having so much money in the registers in the first place; money that the company, which refused to be interviewed on camera, claims should have been in the safe.

Holcomb claims that she was doing the best she could doing a busy lunch rush; Popeye’s Tuesday lunch special (two-piece chicken meal for $1.19) brings a lot of customers, and the manager did the best she could to get the money into the safe as fast as the could, but she had customers to take care of.

Popeye’s corporate headquarters refused to comment on this story, according to KHOU.

Holcomb is now trying to find other jobs, but being heavily pregnant, she doesn’t believe her prospects at finding employment are good.

“I mean who’s gonna call me? I’m 5 months pregnant. The fact that I got robbed at gunpoint and it’s like nobody cares”

Do you believe the Texas mother was responsible for the stolen money and should have paid Popeye’s back? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.

[Image courtesy of: Shutterstock/Paul McKinnon]