A widower is suing McDonald’s after his wife was killed by a “known vagrant” in the drive-thru lane of a Boyle Heights location nearly two years ago, according to the lawsuit.
Filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, the suit claims that on March 9, 2024, Jose Juan Rangel and his wife, Maria Vargas Luna, were in the drive-thru of a McDonald’s on the 200 block of North Soto Street when Charles Cornelius Green Jr. approached customers asking for change.
Green “remained in and around the drive-thru lane for at least 10 minutes” in front of McDonald’s employees, who allegedly did not intervene, and no security personnel were present at the restaurant, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The lawsuit alleges Green attacked Rangel, repeatedly hitting him in the face, while his partially blind wife sat in the passenger seat. Employees reportedly witnessed the attack but made no effort to help or call 911.
Rangel exited the vehicle to protect his wife, but Green targeted her, beating Rangel again and forcing him to the ground. When Luna tried to assist, Green shoved her to the ground, causing her to hit her head, lose consciousness, and go into cardiac arrest, court documents state.
Police did not arrive until after Luna suffered severe head trauma and brain damage. She remained on life support for months before succumbing to her injuries, the lawsuit noted.
The suit claims the Boyle Heights McDonald’s is in an area where police frequently respond to criminal activity and that the location is “notorious in the community for ignoring the safety of its paying customers.”
Rangel is seeking unspecified damages.
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