California Widow Sues McDonald’s Over Fatal Drive-Thru Attack

A widow from California is suing McDonald’s, claiming employees stood by and did nothing while her wife was fatally attacked in a drive-thru incident.

Jose Juan Rangel filed his lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on January 8, almost two years after his wife, Maria Vargas Luna, was assaulted at a McDonald’s in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles.

According to the complaint, Rangel, 75, and Luna, 58, were stuck in their car at the McDonald’s drive-thru in March 2024 when a homeless man, later identified as Charles Cornelius Green Jr., approached them.

The couple’s attorney, Ali R. Kazempour, stated that Green lingered in the drive-thru area for “at least 10 minutes,” asking customers for money before targeting the couple.

He allegedly lunged at Rangel, hitting him repeatedly through the driver’s window.

Luna attempted to intervene but was pushed to the ground, hitting her head and sustaining serious injuries that ultimately led to her death, as indicated by the complaint.

The lawsuit claims that McDonald’s staff failed to call for help, despite the obvious signs of escalating danger.

“Employees had ample opportunity to notice Mr. Green’s behavior and intervene before the assault,” the complaint asserts.

When police arrived, Rangel had already been injured and Luna was unconscious on the pavement.

Luna spent several months on life support before succumbing to her injuries.

The lawsuit suggests that Green was a “known vagrant” frequently present at the McDonald’s, and the staff should have recognized the risk he posed to customers.

“The failure to hire security or implement safety measures allowed Green to remain, creating conditions for the attack,” the complaint reads.

Rangel’s lawsuit claims negligence on the part of the workers, who ignored clear threats and failed to monitor the situation, arguing they had a duty to respond appropriately even in the absence of security personnel.

It also notes that McDonald’s locations often experience crime, with the Los Angeles Police Department responding 132 times to the restaurant for violent incidents between 2020 and March 2024.

The police report noted at least 90 incidents of violence at that location, predominantly involving assaults.

“These ongoing issues should have alerted the defendants to a persistent danger on their premises,” the complaint states.

Despite the lengthy history of similar incidents and visible warning signs leading up to the assault, the defendants reportedly took no action to protect Rangel or his deceased wife.

Green initially faced charges for felony and misdemeanor assault, but prosecutors later dropped the felony count after concluding that Luna’s fall was accidental.

Green was released and the case remains unresolved.

The couple’s daughter, Veronica Rangel, expressed frustration with the previous Los Angeles County District Attorney, alleging a lack of justice for her family. “My father’s wife is dying, and where is the justice? There was none,” she stated.