McDonald’s Employee Suffers Severe Burns in Alleged Hot Oil Attack

A 20-year-old McDonald’s employee in California, Jacob Smith, is hospitalized after sustaining severe burns. His burns are spread over his face, neck, arm, and back. The incident, which occurred on May 30 at a Yuba City McDonald’s, happened when a coworker allegedly doused him with hot oil.

Smith’s mother, Amber Smith, shared with NBC affiliate KCRA that her son was preparing to leave his shift when the attack took place. “He was in the office getting ready to count the money when he saw out of the corner of his eye something, and he turned, and the oil was just thrown on him,” she recounted.

Law enforcement identified the alleged attacker as 23-year-old Jalani Bluett. After fleeing the scene, Bluett was later apprehended by Sutter County deputies on May 31, following a declaration that he was missing. Bluett now faces charges of felony battery with serious bodily injury, felony mayhem, and felony assault with a deadly weapon, as per online court records. He has entered a plea of not guilty.

The motivation behind the attack remains unclear. Efforts to obtain comments from Bluett’s public defender have been unsuccessful.

John Cook, the owner and operator of the Yuba City McDonald’s, commented on the incident in a statement. “The serious incident that took place at our restaurant is deeply concerning, and our focus is on supporting our employee, Jacob, as he recovers,” Cook expressed. He emphasized the organization’s dedication to the safety and well-being of employees, guests, and the community.

Amber Smith reported that her son is dealing with severe pain, highlighting extensive burns on one side of his face, neck, right arm, and back. Medical professionals are working to minimize the extent of these burns to reduce the necessity for skin grafts.