LACEY, WA (KIRO/CNN) - Police in Washington state said a McDonald's manager suffered severe burns to her face and neck after an angry customer threw hot coffee at her.
The altercation was caught on camera Friday. The McDonald's surveillance video shows the man demanding a refill on a cup of coffee from the manager, and she fills it.
Police said the man had just filled his thermos with coffee he was served.
Seconds later, the man is extremely agitated. He tells the manager he didn't get his senior discount for the coffee.
He shows her the receipt and he splashes the hot coffee in the manager's face and he runs out the door.
Sgt. Dave Campbell with the Lacey Police Department was first on the scene.
"Because he was being verbally abusive with her about the price of the coffee and the fact that he was just filling a thermos, she told him he was going to have to leave," Campbell said. "This upset him, so he in turn, took the hot cup of coffee, which was just filled up, and he threw it in her face."
The coffee, which could have been more than 170 degrees, caused severe burns to the side of her face and her neck. Paramedics told the manager she needed to be treated at a hospital.
Now, the hunt is on for the man carrying a bedroll and camping gear.
"Right now, we're looking at assault charges, depending on the seriousness of the burns," Campbell said. "It's going to depend on what degree of assault we go. Either way when we find him, we are going to book him into jail tonight."
Lacey police believe he's still in the area, and they hope someone will help them find him.
"He'll spend his holiday weekend in the jail, thinking about what he did," Campbell said.
Lacey police have not provided any update about if they've been able to track down the man in the surveillance video.
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