A routine shift at a McDonald's restaurant turned horrific when a 20-year-old employee was doused with scalding hot oil by a co-worker in an unprovoked attack.
Jacob Smith remains in the intensive care unit more than a week after suffering second-degree burns to his face, neck, arm, and back during the incident on 30 May in Yuba City, California. Police have arrested fellow McDonald's employee Jalani Bluett, 23, in connection with the attack.
According to Smith's mother, Amber Smith, her son was carrying out a normal workplace task when the incident happened. He was in the office preparing to count the money when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and the oil was thrown on him.
Investigators have not disclosed a motive, and Smith himself is struggling to understand why he was targeted. As his mother, it broke her heart when he looked at her and asked why someone would do this to him. Amber Smith wrote about this in an online fundraiser created to help cover medical bills and living expenses while her son is unable to work.
The fundraiser had nearly reached its $22,000 goal by Sunday. It states that Smith is engaged to be married and faces a lengthy recovery. Amber Smith said the injuries have left her son in severe agony. The pain is so excruciating that doctors cannot administer a sufficient level of pain medication outside the ICU. Medical professionals are working to reduce the extent of the burns in the hope of avoiding skin grafts.
Following the assault, Bluett fled the restaurant and was later reported missing. He was considered at risk due to a diagnosis and vulnerabilities. He was located, arrested, and charged with several felonies, including battery causing serious bodily injury. Bluett is being held without bail as investigators continue to examine what led to the shocking incident.
Amber Smith expressed her desire for justice, stating that she wants the perpetrator to serve the time necessary for what he did to her son. She added that she does not wish bad things towards him but wants him to truly understand the excruciating pain he caused.
