Be careful ... it's drive-thru

These are dangerous days for drive-thru employees.

On Wednesday, Shade Jones, 17, of Fort Lauderdale was working the drive-thru at an Oakland Park McDonald's, 3073 W. Oakland Park Blvd., according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Then a blue Toyota Solara with five people inside pulled up at about 4:30 p.m., asking for a 69-cent drink.

But there's no such thing. Jones tried explaining this several times to the people in the car, who got belligerent, BSO said.

Instead, the car pulled up to the take-out window, and one person inside whipped out a large can of pepper spray, blasting Jones.

Also hit was manager Sheryl Woodley, 20, of Oakland Park, who had come over to reiterate that there was no 69-cent drink, BSO said.

Overall, three employees went to the hospital on their own for treatment. Several more complained of residual affects from the chemicals circulating through the restaurant but didn't need treatment, BSO said.

Investigators only had vague descriptions of the perpetrators on Wednesday night, including that one was dressed as a woman but may have been a cross-dressing man with red, white and blue hair accessories.

But don't think detectives are taking it lightly.

"This is not a prank, and it's not funny," BSO spokesman Mike Jachles said. "These are hard-working people at a restaurant and they don't deserve to be victims of a crime like this."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Broward Sheriff’s Office at 954-765-4321 or Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 954-493-8477.

Comments

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This reminds me of a case in Traverse City, MI from about 8 years ago where a guy decided to rob a McDonalds at knifepoint THROUGH the drive in window. He got away with a cheesburger and a dollar and ten cents that hadn't been put into the cash register yet. Mean people suck.

Posted by: Shannon | September 30, 2007 at 03:05 PM

Posted by: Shannon | September 30, 2007 at 03:07 PM