A 19-year-old McDonald’s employee named Maria Resendiz was reportedly attacked after she asked a customer in the drive-thru line to wear a face mask. The incident took place in Oakland, California, and is still currently being investigated, according to Business Insider .
Resendiz was told by her manager that she should ask customers that aren’t wearing a mask to put one on prior to receiving their food in the pickup window. This is required not only by this particular restaurant but by the local government. Allegedly, the customer not only refused to comply but quickly became enraged and allegedly yelled profanity at the employee, even disrespecting her ethnicity.
The suspect, who has not been named, left the drive-thru line and parked his car, the report noted. He then got out of his vehicle and approached the drive-thru window where Resendiz was standing. Out of fear, she tried to hold the drive-thru window closed, but struggled as the lock on it was broken. The man allegedly managed to get through the window and grab Resendiz, slapping and hitting her and going as far as to threaten her life. Following the incident, law enforcement was called in and the employee was taken to a local hospital.
Photos depicting her injuries show Resendiz with bandages covering places on both of her arms. In one photo, a red scratch mark can be seen just under her chin.
After going through this, Resendiz said she simply wants to be treated right while she is trying to do her job.
“I just want to tell customers not to disrespect us. We’re humans as well,” she said.
A man named Michael Smith owns this particular McDonald’s franchise location. In a statement, he made it clear that they are taking the incident seriously and that they prioritize the safety of their staff.
“On Saturday, we learned of an altercation at our San Pablo Avenue restaurant. The supervisor on duty called local law enforcement immediately to report the incident. Officers were welcomed into the restaurant to review security footage and are still investigating this matter.”
Resendiz also feels extra precautions should be taken to keep customers safe.
“Security is all we need…. All we want is to feel safe,” she said.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, this is not the first time a person has made headlines for their refusal to wear a face mask while in public. A viral video showed one woman at a Trader Joe’s scream and cuss at Trader Joe’s employees when she was asked to wear a mask.