(RNN) – A California court awarded $7.97 million to a former Chipotle manager accused of stealing cash from a restaurant safe, The Fresno Bee reported.
In 2015, Janette Ortiz was fired after her bosses said she took $626 from a store near the Fresno State University campus.
The company said it had video evidence of the alleged theft, but when Ortiz requested to see it, the company said it had been recorded over.
In awarding her nearly $8 million last week, the jury ruled that Ortiz wasn’t a thief, but the victim of “a scheme to fire and defame her for filing a worker's compensation claim for a job-related injury to her wrist caused by carpal tunnel syndrome,” the Bee reported.
The jury’s award included $6 million for emotional distress and $1.97 million for loss of past and future wages.
Ahead of the trial, Chiptole offered Ortiz $1,000 to settle her civil complaint. Her legal team asked for $10 million.
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