WYOMING, Mich. — The 17-year-old Burger King employee who alleges she was assaulted on the job over a cup of soda spoke to FOX 17 on Monday.
Isabela, who didn’t want her last name used, was the manager at the 28th Street fast food restaurant on Sunday when a customer in the drive-thru line complained about soda running down the side of his cup.
“I just simply wiped the drink off and handed it to him and told him have a nice day,” said Isabela, “and that’s where it all started.”
According to Isabela, the customer still wasn’t satisfied and drove off, only to come back into the restaurant a few minutes later, jumping behind the counter and grabbing a stack of cups himself while berating employees.
“He starts filling them up and pouring them all over the walls, all over the floor in front of the pop machine and just throwing drinks all over,” she said. “Like just throwing a tantrum.”
When Isabela and another 15-year-old employee tried to confront him, she says the customer punched, kicked, and body slammed Isabela so forcefully that she blacked out.
“I just remember thinking like, woah, what is happening right now? I’m being picked up, spun around, kicked, punched,” she said. “It’s just a pop, you know? It’s just a pop.”
Isabela said the man’s final punch to her forehead required 11 stitches. She also sustained a cut above her eye, bruising on her neck from choking, and a bruise on her thigh. The other 15-year-old employee, whose family spoke to FOX17 over the phone Monday, suffered a broken jaw, several broken teeth, permanent nerve damage and had to undergo reconstructive surgery Monday afternoon.
Eventually, the customer left and employees took pictures of his license plate before going into the bathroom to hide and wait for police.
“We all just sat there and we cried,” said Isabela. “It got so frantic. It was so much blood, and it was just so much chaos.”
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety confirmed to FOX17 on Sunday that they are aware of the incident and are investigating. They also indicated they were aware of the suspect’s name but as of Monday, there was no word of an arrest or any charges.
Ironically, on Labor Day weekend, Isabela says it’s a frustrating reminder that fast food workers are rarely treated with the respect they deserve. She’s unsure if she’ll return to work, despite receiving well-wishes from management shortly after the incident.
“Where am I supposed to work at?” she said. “I am 17 years old I can’t go be a physician or I can’t go be a veterinarian at 17 years old. You need to respect the people in the drive-thru and the people behind the counter because if we’re not doing it who’s going to do it?”
The family of the 15-year-old employee said they were informed by Burger King management that all their bills would be covered through the franchise's on-the-job worker’s compensation program. They have also set up a Go Fund Me page for her expenses.
If you have any information about this incident, call Wyoming DPS at 616-530-7309.
