A family has filed a lawsuit against the fast-food restaurant “Jack In The Box” after an employee of the restaurant opened fire on them during a dispute over curly fries.
The family filing the lawsuit claims that the restaurant is accountable for the violence and should modify its hiring practices.
Anthony Ramos was temporarily in Texas in March 2021 from Florida, doing post-Hurricane Harvey recovery work. On March 3, after picking up his wife, Jeraldin Ospina, and her 6-year-old daughter from the airport, the three of them went to a Jack in the Box goin Houston at around 11:30 p.m.
After ordering a combo meal, Ramos and Ospina realized that the curly fries that were supposed to come with their combos were not in the bag. They then informed the drive-thru worker, Alonniea Ford, that the fries were missing.
According to the lawsuit, “Defendant Alonniea Fantasia Ford refused to fulfill the order that plaintiffs had paid for already,” the complaint says. When the husband and wife asked to speak with the manager, the situation worsened.
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The lawsuit said “Defendant Alonniea Fantasia Ford began cursing at plaintiffs and yelling at them to ‘get the f— outta here!!“‘,” the complaint says. “Plaintiffs started arguing with defendant Alonniea Fantasia Ford. At some point during the argument, defendant Alonniea Fantasia Ford threw ketchup, ice, and other items at plaintiffs inside their car.”
Ramos and Ospina’s attorney, Randall Kallinen, released video footage that showed Ford throwing “ketchup, ice, and other items” before she pulled out a gun and shot at the family, who were driving away quickly from the restaurant with their daughter in the backseat.
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The video also showed food being thrown from Ramos and Ospina’s vehicle during the confrontation.
Ford was charged with aggravated assault using a deadly weapon. Texas judicial records show that Ford pleaded guilty to a single charge of deadly conduct, which is classified as a misdemeanor. Ford was given a year of deferred adjudication,and her case was dismissed in June.
The complaint, which names both Ford and Jack in the Box as defendants, seeks an unspecified amount of damages. It alleges negligence on the part of Jack in the Box, stating that the restaurant chain should have conducted background checks and proper investigations of its employees so that they only employ individuals that can provide a safe environment to customers.”
The complaint also mentions that the restaurant lacks sufficient codes of conduct and employee manuals that prohibit the carrying and bringing of weapons to its restaurants, in order to prevent any danger to the patrons.
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