A man has been arrested after a heated exchange at a Miami Springs McDonald's drive-thru left a manager with hot coffee burns.
According to police, the initial argument began over the price of coffee at the McDonald's at 4999 Northwest 36th Street.
Detectives said the incident happened on August 25th, when 64-year-old Elizar Ravelo pulled up to the McDonald's drive-thru window and got into an argument with an employee about how much he was being charged.
He then got into an argument with the manager, who reportedly told him she did not like the way he was treating her employees and warned him that if he continued he would not be allowed back at the restaurant.
Police said Ravelo began to verbally assault her and threatened to throw coffee on her.
The manager, Stephanie Restuccia, spoke to NBC6 following the incident and said she was surprised by Ravelo's actions.
"You never think that somebody's gonna actually do it," she said.
U.S. & World
Surveillance video shows the moment of the exchange. When the manager reached out to hand him his coffee, Ravelo reached out and slapped it out of her hands, the video showed.
"As soon as I pulled out the coffee to give it to him, he smashed the coffee and like coffee went everywhere, it burned my arm from here to here, so I was like, ok, now what happens?" she said.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
The hot coffee spilled onto the manager's right arm and chest and left a red burn mark on her skin, officials said.
Ravelo then drove off, but Miami Springs Police were able to locate and arrest him for felony battery.
According to an arrest report, Ravelo denied threatening to throw the hot coffee and told police he was not happy with the service given by the male attendant at the drive-thru window. The situation later escalated after he was told he was short a few pennies for his order.
"There is not enough reason for you to do that to somebody," said Restuccia. "I would like to tell him 'what you did is wrong.'"
