Suspected battery incident involving hamburger leads to arrest of Sylmar man
Authorities in Burbank say a Gordon Biersch employee was struck in the face with a hamburger last Thursday after an irate customer threw a box containing the food item at his face.
The Burbank Police Department responded to the alleged assault around 11:15 p.m. after a restaurant employee said he was conversing with a female patron in the parking lot at the business when another customer approached him and shouted the n-word. The man then threw a box containing the hamburger at the employee, who was struck in the face by the flying sandwich.
According to Burbank Police Sgt. Derek Green, however, it did not appear the attack was racially motivated.
He also mentioned the man who allegedly committed the beef battery knew the woman who was talking with the employee.
“[The man and the woman] were together earlier in the night at the restaurant … [It’s] believed they were romantically involved,” Green said.
Officers eventually located the man at a Holiday Inn across the street from the restaurant after he was reportedly involved in another fight with a different person.
He was identified as 32-year-old Ryan Dodd of Sylmar and charged with two counts of battery by the Burbank City Attorney’s office.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
