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Scalding hot coffee thrown into fast-food manager’s face by angry customer, DA says

By  and KTVU Staff
FOX Local
Crime and Public Safety
Published October 28, 2026 11:03 PM EDT
Published October 28, 2026 11:03 PM EDT
article

A Jack in the Box drive thru fast food restaurant logo sign on November 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • A California man is accused of throwing scalding coffee into the face of a fast-food restaurant manager.
    • The suspect allegedly hurled the coffee because he was upset over not being given a fresh cup and had been asked to leave.
    • The county district attorney’s office pointed out that the man’s original cup of coffee and a meal had been purchased by another customer for him.

A Northern California man is accused of throwing a cup of scalding coffee at the manager of a Jack in the Box restaurant after she refused to give him a fresh cup. 

Big picture view:

The coffee was estimated to be at a near-boiling 200 degrees when it hit the manager in her face and neck, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office stated, pointing out that her face was already beginning to blister by the time first responders arrived.

Customer bought suspect’s meal

The suspect, Willie Anthony Quinn, entered the fast-food restaurant in San Mateo on Thursday, Oct. 22, and asked the manager for free food, according to the district attorney’s office. After the manager responded that it was against company policy, another customer stepped in and bought Quinn, 64, a meal and a cup of coffee.

Hit by scalding coffee

Later on, Quinn is reported to have demanded a fresh cup of coffee and begun cursing at the manager when she refused, leading to him being asked to leave the restaurant. As the manager was escorting Quinn out, he allegedly threw the coffee in her face and on her neck. 

RELATED: Virginia mother charged with homicide after 8-month-old infant drowns in bathtub

Arrested the next day

On Friday, Quinn was spotted on security video by the San Mateo Police Department and arrested after the manager confirmed his identity, authorities explained. As he was being taken into custody, officers allegedly discovered a small baggie containing methamphetamine in his pocket, the DA’s office added.

What's next:

He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody. If convicted, Quinn could face life in prison under California’s three-strikes law. The DA’s office indicated he has prior felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon in 1995 and assault with a firearm in 2009. 

The Source: The information in this report comes from a press memorandum issued by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office. This story was reported from Orlando, Florida.


 

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