The three-strikes allegation against Willie Anthony Quinn rests on two earlier assault convictions, according to prosecutors as reported by KRON4. The convictions were for assault with a deadly weapon in 1995 and assault with a gun in 2009. If Quinn is convicted in the current case, prosecutors say he could face life imprisonment.
Quinn, 64, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means likely to cause great bodily injury. He also faces a misdemeanor drug-possession charge and has denied that allegation. KRON4 reported that police arrested him the day after the incident and found methamphetamine on him.
The case stems from an Oct. 22 encounter at the Jack in the Box on East Third Avenue in San Mateo. The San Mateo County District Attorney’s account, reported by the San Mateo Daily Journal, says Quinn asked the manager for free food, which she declined. A customer then bought him a meal and coffee.
Prosecutors allege Quinn threw the coffee at the manager as she escorted him out. KRON4 reported that the drink was about 200 degrees and that the manager’s face showed signs of blistering by the time emergency responders arrived. These details, like the account of the encounter, come from reporting based on the district attorney’s account.
