Police Help Fast-Food Restaurant Customer After She Mouthed "Help Me" At Drive-Thru: 'We Are Proud Of Our Team'

Jan 03, 2020 by apost team

Law enforcement officers are praising the staff of a McDonald’s in California for their quick thinking in helping a woman in an abusive relationship. On Christmas Eve at 2 p.m., a woman entered McDonald’s Flag City restaurant in Lodi.

As told in a press statement from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the woman, whose name is not being revealed to the public, approached the restaurant’s front counter and asked an employee to contact 911. The woman begged the staff to hide her from her male companion, later identified as Eduardo Valenzuela, and gave the employees her license plate number.

After using the location’s restroom, the woman attempted to place an order at the counter before Valenzuela angrily asserted that she return to the car and order her meal from the restaurant’s drive-thru.

Visiting the drive-thru in the driver’s seat of her car, the woman mouthed a plea for help to the McDonald’s employee as Valenzuela sat beside her in the passenger seat. The staff at the location did everything in their power to help the distressed woman, holding up the drive-thru line until deputies could arrive.

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Once at the scene, police deputies had both the woman and Valenzuela exit the car as they conducted their investigation. After searching the car, police found a loaded revolver in the vehicle’s trunk. Deputies also learned that Valenzuela, as a felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Police spokespeople later told reporters that Valenzuela has a history of violence, particularly violence against women. While interviewing the woman, who police described as “shaken,” law enforcement personnel discovered that Valenzuela had demanded that she drive him to his parent’s house, threatening her with physical harm if she refused his orders.

Valenzuela is facing several felony charges in relation to the incident, including possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, making criminal threats, and possessing stolen property. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department later shared the woman’s story on their official Facebook page.

Saying that they are “lovin” the restaurant’s response, the department praised the restaurant for offering safe spaces for women who are facing abuse and human trafficking. The post has thus far been liked nearly 3,000 times.

Like all California McDonald’s owned by the Golden State Restaurant Group, the Flag City McDonald’s is part of the Safe Place Program, which is dedicated to helping youths find immediate safety. The Golden State McDonald’s Facebook page posted their appreciation of the employees of the Flag City location for their quick thinking in helping the woman.

They wrote, "We are proud of our team for doing their part in being A SAFE PLACE!" The organization also thanked the police for their fast response and told others to "please always be safe and aware!"

Regina Camera, a spokeswoman for McDonald’s, told reporters with Fox 40 that their employees are specially trained at how to respond to these types of situations and further commended the Flag City staff.

What do you think of how the McDonald’s staff helped the woman escape her abuser? Tell us your thoughts on the situtation below. Pass this article on to your friends and family to see what they think.