A manager at a McDonald’s in California suffered severe injuries after a coworker reportedly hurled hot oil at him, resulting in painful second-degree burns.
Jacob Smith, aged 20, was on duty at the Yuba City McDonald’s on May 30 when a fellow employee allegedly doused him with scalding oil, causing burns to his face and body.
“My son is deeply compassionate and would give anything to anyone in need. If he had just $5, he would offer it to you,” shared his mother, Amber Smith, in an interview with ABC 10.
The Yuba City Police Department arrived at the scene in response to reports of an assault on Jacob by another employee.
“The victim was able to move around and communicate, though visible burn injuries were evident on his face and upper body,” stated YCPD Lieutenant Michael Bullard.
The suspect, 23-year-old Jalani Bluett, is accused of throwing the oil before escaping the scene prior to police arrival, according to reports.
The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said that, due to a diagnosis and reported vulnerabilities, Bluett is considered a risk. He was later found and arrested just after midnight on June 1, according to the outlet.
Bluett was booked into the Sutter County Jail on multiple charges. Motive for the attack remains unclear, police said.
Jacob Smith, 20, was working his shift at McDonald’s in Yuba City on May 30 when a coworker allegedly tossed burning hot oil all over him, leaving him with second-degree burns across his face and body
According to the fundraiser created by his mother, Amber Smith, Jacob has been a ‘loyal and dedicated’ employee at McDonald’s for several years
Jalani Bluett, 23, allegedly tossed the oil at Jacob and fled the restaurant before law enforcement arrived. He was arrested later, just after midnight on June 1
‘The arraignment was yesterday in the Sutter County Court, at which time he was held to answer on assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, serious felony assault resulting in great bodily injury,’ Bullard told the outlet, adding that Bluett was being held without bail.
The heartbroken mother said that her son serves as a positive light in her life.
‘They said he was in excruciating pain yesterday,’ Smith said.
A GoFundMe was created to aid the family as Jacob, who is engaged to be married, heals from the incident.
According to the fundraiser created by his mother, Jacob has been a ‘loyal and dedicated’ employee at McDonald’s for several years.
‘At just 20 years old, Jacob has worked hard to build a future for himself. He is engaged to be married and has always been responsible, hardworking and committed to those he loves,’ Amber continued.
The ‘unexpected tragedy’ comes as a ‘major setback’ for Jacob during a time ‘when he should be looking forward to building his life and planning his future,’ the fundraiser said.
‘As his mother, it broke my heart when he looked at me and said, “Why would he do this to me?”‘ Amber wrote.
Bluett was booked into the Sutter County Jail on multiple charges. Motive for the attack remains unclear
In an update on Friday, Amber said that her son remains in the ICU burn unit enduring painful wounds and awaits surgery on Thursday for skin graphs over his deep burns
The ‘unexpected tragedy’ comes as a ‘major setback’ for Jacob during a time ‘when he should be looking forward to building his life and planning his future, including his marriage to his fiancé, seen above
The heartbroken mother, seen with Jacob, said that her son serves as a positive light in her life who is trying to stay positive as he recovers from his injuries
‘Jacob has a long road ahead, but he is strong, and we know that with the support of family, friends, and our community, he can get through this difficult chapter.’
In an update on Friday, Amber said that her son remains in the ICU burn unit enduring painful wounds and awaits surgery on Thursday for skin graphs over his deep burns.
In a statement, Jacob wrote: ‘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.
‘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. Thank you to God for saving my eye and giving me awesome family and friends.
‘Thank you to my family for being so incredibly supportive and loving and lifting me up in my time of need. Thank you to my friends who have shown so much care and taken time out of their own schedules to check on me every day.
‘And of course thank you so much to my lovely fiancé, Dulce, who is just the most incredible girl I could ever ask for, and is doing everything in her power to make sure I’m okay.’
The fundraiser garnered over $21,000 as of Sunday afternoon.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, the Yuba City Police Department and McDonald’s for comment.
