Get All Access for $5/mo

Video: Jack in the Box Employee Shoots at Customer Over Alleged Missing Curly Fries, Family Files Lawsuit Newly-released footage shows the 2021 incident.

By Emily Rella

Key Takeaways

  • In March 2021, a Jack in the Box employee pleaded guilty to "deadly conduct" after shooting at a drive-thru customer.
  • Now, the victim's family is suing Jack in the Box for negligence.

Chaos struck a Jack in the Box restaurant in Texas when an employee began shooting at a drive-thru customer, allegedly over an order of curly fries. Now, one family is now suing the fast-food chain for negligence.

In just-released video footage from March 2021, an employee working the drive-thru named Alonneia Ford can be seen arguing with a customer in a truck, Anthony Ramos, after handing him his food. Ramos claimed an order of curly fries was not in the bag at the Houston fast-food joint.

The conversation appears to get more heated as Ford can be seen motioning over to another employee before throwing ketchup packets and ice cubes at his vehicle.

Ford then leaves the window, grabs a handgun, and points it at him before Ramos speeds away and Ford shoots at his car as it drives off.

Related: Man Tries to Kidnap Barista at Coffee Shop Drive-Thru Window

According to court documents, Ford served one year of deferred adjudication for pleading guilty to deadly conduct, though her initial charge was for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Ramos' pregnant wife and young daughter were reportedly in the car.

Ford told local outlet ABC 13 that she had asked Ramos to drive away several times and that he did not listen and instead began threatening her and calling her racial slurs.

"I'm not an angry person. (I'm) not a mad monster out here. I'm just a woman trying to work for my family," Ford told the outlet. "I'm not going to pull out no gun and shoot at somebody over no curly fries. Come on."

Ramos denied her claims.

"Jack-In-The-Box needs to do background checks on employees so as not to expose their customers to someone who would attempt to kill them," Randall L. Kallinen, the family's lawyer said per local outlet FOX 26. "These rage cases are getting out of hand in Houston."

Ramos' family is seeking $250,000 in damages from Jack in the Box though the fast-food chain denied all allegations and responsibility for Ford's actions.

Jack in the Box did not immediately respond to Entrepreneur's request for comment.

Related: Drive-Thru Workers Slam Pay-It-Forward Chains

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Business News

A Former Corporate Lawyer Now Makes Six Figures on YouTube — Here's How She Does It

Here are the secrets to starting and growing a successful YouTube channel, according to a YouTuber with millions of subscribers.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

How to Determine The Ideal Length of Your Marketing Emails Your Customers Will Actually Read

Wondering how long your marketing emails should be? Here's what consumers say — so you can send them exactly what they like.

Business News

Y Combinator Helped Launch Reddit, Airbnb and Dropbox. Here's What I Learned From Its Free Startup School.

The famed startup accelerator offers a free course on building a business — and answers five pressing questions for founders.