McDonald’s Employee Hospitalized After Co-Worker Threw Hot Oil on Him

A McDonald’s employee in Northern California is recovering in the hospital after police say one of his coworkers threw hot oil on him during a shift.

Jacob Smith, 20, was working as a shift manager at a McDonald’s in Yuba City on Saturday, June 6, when the terrifying attack allegedly happened.

According to reports, Smith was getting ready to end his shift and was in the office preparing to count money when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

His mother, Amber Smith, said he turned around and was suddenly hit with hot oil.

“He was in the office getting ready to count the money when he saw out of the corner of his eye something, and he just turned, and the oil was just thrown on him,” Amber told KCRA.

Smith suffered burns to the side of his face, neck, right arm and back. His mother said he has second-degree burns over 22 percent of his body and is in so much pain that he has to remain in the ICU.

“The pain he’s experiencing is so excruciating that they can’t give him a level of pain medicine outside of the ICU,” she said.

Yuba City Police Lt. Michael Bullard said Smith was alert and able to communicate with first responders after the incident, but had visible burns on his upper body and face.

“The victim was up walking around ambulatory and able to communicate with them, but had obvious burn marks on his upper torso and his face area,” Bullard told ABC 10.

Police identified the alleged attacker as 23-year-old Jalani Bluett. Investigators said Bluett left the restaurant before officers arrived.

The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office later asked for the public’s help finding him, saying he was “considered at risk due to a diagnosis and vulnerabilities.” He was found and arrested shortly after midnight.

During Bluett’s arraignment on June 6, Bullard said he was held on several serious allegations, including assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, serious felony assault resulting in great bodily injury.

Bluett is being held in Sutter County without bail, according to reports.

Amber said she wants accountability for what happened to her son.

“I want justice to be served. I want him to serve the time he needs to serve for what he’s done to my son,” she said. “I mean, I don’t wish bad things towards him. I just want him to understand that what he did — really understand what he did — and the pain that he caused to my son is excruciating.”

A GoFundMe created to help Jacob during his recovery says he is expected to undergo skin graft surgery later this week because some of the burns are deep.

Despite the pain, Jacob shared a powerful message through the fundraiser, thanking God, his family and his friends for supporting him.

“As much as I want to be angry, or want to hate people and be scared of people, it’s just so hard to be when I have so many people showing their love for me,” Jacob wrote. “I’m not sad, and I’m not angry, and the pain doesn’t cause me grief because I know it’s necessary to heal. I’m so thankful for everybody.”

He also thanked God for saving his eye and praised his loved ones for lifting him up during the worst moment of his life.

McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to reports.