A McDonald's employee has been hospitalised with severe burns after a colleague allegedly hurled hot oil at him. The incident occurred on Saturday, 6 June, at a McDonald's in Northern California, according to reports from ABC 10, CBS News and KCRA.
Attack Details
Jacob Smith, 20, was working his shift when he was reportedly assaulted by another staff member, later identified as 23-year-old Jalani Bluett. Bluett fled the scene before police arrived but was arrested by the Sutter County Sheriff's Office shortly after midnight local time. Prior to his arrest, the sheriff's office sought public help, stating Bluett was "considered at risk due to a diagnosis and vulnerabilities."
Injuries and Surgery
Jacob suffered second-degree burns to the side of his face, neck, right arm and back, covering 22 percent of his body. His mother, Amber Smith, told KCRA that her son was about to finish his shift when he was attacked. "He was in the office getting ready to count the money when he saw out of the corner of his eye something, and he just turned, and the oil was just thrown on him," she said. "The pain he's experiencing is so excruciating that they can't give him a level of pain medicine outside of the ICU." Jacob is due for skin graft surgery later this week, and a GoFundMe page has raised over $70,000 towards a $120,000 goal for his medical treatment.
Legal Proceedings
During Bluett's arraignment on 6 June, the court held him to answer on charges including assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, and serious felony assault resulting in great bodily injury. He is being held in Sutter County without bail.
Victim's Response
In a heartfelt message shared on GoFundMe, Jacob expressed gratitude despite the trauma. "As much as I want to be angry, or want to hate people and be scared of people, it's just so hard to be when I have so many people showing their love for me," he wrote. "I'm not sad, and I'm not angry, and the pain doesn't cause me grief because I know it's necessary to heal. I'm so thankful for everybody." He added, "Thank you to God for saving my eye and giving me awesome family and friends."
McDonald's Response
John Cook, the owner and operator of the McDonald's location, stated: "The serious incident that took place at our restaurant this past weekend is deeply concerning, and our focus is on supporting our employee, Jacob, as he recovers. The safety and well-being of our employees, guests and community remain our top priority. The other individual involved is no longer employed by our organization, and we are fully cooperating with local law enforcement as they continue their investigation."
