A Texas Jack-in-the-Box employee was caught on camera shooting at a customer who dared to complain that his order was missing french fries. Anthony Ramos visited the restaurant close to Houston’s Bush Continental Airport in March 2021 with his pregnant wife and their then-6-year-old daughter, but as has happened to many of us, he didn’t get all the food he bought. That’s when Alonniea Fantasia Ford opened fire.
- Ramos got a $12.99 Classic Buttery Jack combo meal. For that price, you want to get everything that comes with it. So, when his food was handed over sans curly fries, he brought it up with Ford, who was working the drive-thru window.
- An argument ensued. Instead of just being like, “Sorry, my bad, we get a lot of orders and we missed that” and handing over some fries, Ford began arguing with Ramos. The incident, which was caught on surveillance cameras, saw Ford and another employee start throwing ice and condiments into his car. However, things continued to escalate from there.
- Alonniea Ford suddenly left the drive-thru window. She wasn’t gone for long, though — she soon returned with a loaded gun, which was cocked and ready to fire. At that point, she extended her arm out the window and opened fire, shooting at least twice at Ramos’ car.
- Thankfully, Ramos and his family were unharmed. Once he realized what was happening, he quickly sped away and the family escaped without injury. Once they were sure they were safe, they called police to report the incident.
- The Jack-in-the-Box employee was arrested and charged. Alonniea Ford pled guilty to one count of deadly conduct and was given a one-year deferred sentence, which she completed in June 2023, per Chron.
- Ramos and his family aren’t particularly satisfied with the outcome. They’ve filed a lawsuit against the fast food company, accusing it of hiring dangerous employees and compromising customer safety. However, Jack-in-the-Box says it has “no control” over its staff and they’re “not legally responsible” for what happened.
- Ramos’ lawyer, Randall Kallinen, has since gotten hold of the surveillance footage, which could be a game-changer. “Jack-in-the-Box needs to do a background check on employees so as not to expose their customers to someone who would attempt to kill them,” the attorney said in a statement. “These rage cases are getting out of hand in Houston.” Ramos is seeking $250,000 in damages.
- Jack-in-the-Box released its own statement on the ongoing case. “While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we are aware of the situation involving an employee of one of our independent franchisees and remain focused on providing a safe environment for customers and restaurant workers,” a spokesperson told UNILAD.
