A 20-year-old McDonald’s worker in Yuba City, California, was left with severe burns after a coworker allegedly attacked him with hot oil on May 30.
The victim, identified as Jacob Smith, suffered burns on his face, neck, arm, and back, NBC News reported Monday.
He was reportedly in the restaurant’s office when the oil was thrown on him. The suspect in the case, 23-year-old Jalani Bluett, allegedly fled the location after the incident.
Smith’s mother, Amber, told KVUE, “My son is God-fearing. He would give anything to anybody. If he had $5 in his wallet and you needed it, he would just give it to you. He’s got second-degree burns over 22% of his body. They said he was in excruciating pain yesterday.”
After the suspect left the scene, law enforcement released a missing person flyer stating he was considered “at risk due to a diagnosis and vulnerabilities,” and authorities acknowledged he has a disability. Law enforcement did not disclose the nature of the suspect’s diagnosis.
Bluett was arrested on June 1 and is being held in the Sutter County Jail. NBC cited online records showing the suspect was charged with felony battery with serious bodily injury, felony mayhem, and felony assault with a deadly weapon.
It was not yet known what led up to the incident.
Restaurant owner and operator John Cook said Bluett was no longer an employee, adding, “The serious incident that took place at our restaurant … is deeply concerning, and our focus is on supporting our employee, Jacob, as he recovers. The safety and well-being of our employees, guests and community remain our top priority.”
The victim’s mother described to ABC 7 how ICU doctors have been caring for her son.
“They’re just telling me that their goal right now is to decrease the size of the burn on his back and the neck area, to try to minimize the amount of skin grafting they’re looking at having to do, but it could potentially become more painful,” she explained.
A GoFundMe she created to help with Jacob’s recovery had raised over $146,000 as of Tuesday morning.
“At just 20 years old, Jacob has worked hard to build a future for himself. He is engaged to be married and has always been responsible, hardworking, and committed to those he loves,” the page reads. “This unexpected tragedy has created a major setback at a time when he should be looking forward to building his life and planning his future.”
