A drive-thru order at a Houston-area Jack in the Box went horribly wrong.
Florida resident Anthony Ramos, who had come to Houston for contract work, picked up his wife Jeraldin Ospina and their 6-year-old daughter from the airport in March 2021. They stopped at a nearby Jack in the Box at around 11:30 p.m. and placed an order for a meal combo totaling $12.99.
According to the lawsuit, Ramos realized that a side of curly fries was missing. Employee Alonniea Ford allegedly refused to complete the order, leading to an argument. The lawsuit alleges that Ramos asked to speak to a manager and then Ford aggressively yelled at the family, telling them to “get the fuck outta here.” The confrontation escalated, as seen in a video released by ABC 13, where Ford threw ice, ketchup, and other items at the car.
Ford then pulled out a firearm from her waistband and fired at least two shots at the family’s vehicle as they sped off to avoid the gunfire.
Court documents also reveal that the family’s 6-year-old was in the back of the SUV, and Ospina was pregnant at the time of the shooting. After the incident, Ramos decided to quit his contract job in Houston and return to Florida with his family. The family filed their lawsuit last year.
Ford was arrested after the shooting and initially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. However, she later pled guilty to a lesser charge of deadly conduct, serving a one-year deferred adjudication sentence that she completed in June.
The family filed a lawsuit against the fast food restaurant, A3H Foods (the franchisee), and Alonniea Ford. The lawsuit alleges assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. Seeking damages, the family’s lawsuit specifies a monetary relief range between $250,000 and $1,000,000. In response, Jack in the Box has denied all allegations, asserting that they have no legal responsibility over third parties like Ford.
“Jack-in-the-Box needs to do a background check on employees so as not to expose their customers to someone who would attempt to kill them,” said the family’s lawyer Randall Kallinen in a press release.
The case is scheduled to move to trial in Houston in November.
