A confrontation at a Washington, D.C., Chipotle has led to a police investigation after a viral incident. A customer, seen behind the counter in a video on X by Crime Net with over 13 million views, is shown serving herself and throwing a bowl of food at an employee.
Y’all be wilding at chipotle pic.twitter.com/XDb9Pks8c6
— Crime Net (@TRIGGERHAPPYV1) December 22, 2024
The employee, Roberto Hernandez, told WUSA9 that the altercation left him shaken and "triggering" to watch. He described the events, saying the customer was upset over a supposed UberEats order mistake, which escalated to violence when her demands weren’t met. Hernandez said, "I was mad, upset. But I’m a man you know I can’t hit a female."
In the video, someone off-camera is heard suggesting, "Just let her make her food" after the woman pushed workers aside to fill her bowl. When a worker tried to reclaim the bowl, the customer hit him with it, scattering the food. According to WTOP, the woman could face charges of simple assault and theft.
Chipotle has emphasized its commitment to employee safety. "At Chipotle, the health and safety of our employees is our greatest priority," said Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, in a statement obtained by WJLA. The company filed a police report and increased security at the location during the ongoing investigation.
The woman involved later spoke about the incident, stating, "I’m not saying what I did was right but I’m not saying what I did was wrong. I was right to a certain extent," in a WUSA9 report. While admitting going behind the counter was wrong, she felt the situation could have been avoided had her order been remade as requested. She mentioned plans to sue Chipotle but walked away with one of the bowls she made herself. No official charges have been confirmed yet.
