Houston police released footage of a fast-food worker opening fire on a customer through the drive-thru window during a heated argument over missing curly fries.
The incident occurred back in March 2021 and has since been the subject of a lawsuit, with the customer involved taking issue with Jack-in-the-Box’s hiring policies.
Anthony Ramos of Miami had been working in Houston as a contractor brought on to help the state restore its power grid in the wake of Winter Storm Uri the month prior.
His pregnant wife and 6-year-old daughter had flown in to visit. After picking them up from Bush Intercontinental Airport, Ramos and his family stopped by Jack-in-the-Box to pick up some food.
However, the curly fries were apparently missing from Ramos’ order, sparking a dispute between him and drive-thru employee Alloniea Ford.
The newly released footage shows the nine-minute argument that transpired between Ramos in his red pickup truck and Ford at the window.
There is no audio to the video, but Ramos said in his complaint that he had asked for the missing fries and Ford refused. He then asked to speak to the manager and Ford reportedly became abusive toward the family.
Another employee can be seen trying to diffuse the situation as Ford starts flinging ketchup packets and ice at Ramos through the window. Ramos threw them back and the other employee closed and latched the window.
At that point, the video shows Ford taking a gun from her pocket, opening the window back up, and firing toward Ramos’ pickup truck as he drives away. No one was hurt and none of the bullets struck the vehicle.
Ramos quit his contract job shortly thereafter and returned to Florida with his family.
As for Ford, she was arrested while allegedly trying to pass the gun off to a man, who was also taken into police custody as a result.
Although charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Ford pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of deadly conduct. She was given a year of deferred adjudication and her probation concluded in June 2023.
Ford has spoken out in her defense, telling ABC 13 that she had worked for the fast-food chain for 15 years and that the location near the airport was dangerous.
Ramos’ suit against Jack-in-the-Box is still pending.
“Jack-In-The-Box needs to do a background check on employees so as not to expose their customers to someone who would attempt to kill them,” said attorney Randall Kallinen upon filing Ramos’ suit last year, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “These rage cases are getting out of hand in Houston.”
The plaintiff has asked for between $250,000 and $1 million to cover mental pain, suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and legal fees.
Road rage incidents are also frequent in Texas, some resulting in gunfire.
For instance, an incident in March left a Plano man shot multiple times in the shoulder, lung, and stomach, as previously reported in The Dallas Express.
