California Widow Sues McDonald’s After Fatal Attack

A widow from California is taking legal action against McDonald’s, claiming that an employee failed to call emergency services during a fatal assault that occurred while she and her husband waited in a drive-thru line.

Jose Juan Rangel filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court recently. According to the complaint, back in March 2024, a man, labeled as a “known vagrant,” approached their vehicle at a McDonald’s in Boyle Heights and attacked them.

At the time, Rangel and his wife, Maria Vargas Luna, 58, were waiting for their food when the assailant, identified as Charles Cornelius Green Jr., struck Rangel through the driver’s side window. The complaint states that Vargas Luna, who was blind, attempted to assist her husband but was pushed down and sustained severe head injuries.

Family members shared that Vargas Luna suffered a heart attack while being transported to the hospital.

Vargas Luna was hospitalized for several months and placed on life support, but ultimately succumbed to her injuries, as mentioned in the court filing.

Veronica Rangel, the couple’s daughter, expressed the family’s devastation, stating that her father felt he could not continue living without her. “They’ve been married for 30 years. He feels guilty for needing to protect her,” she said in May 2024 while Vargas Luna was still on life support.

The lawsuit claims negligence against McDonald’s Corporation, McDonald’s Restaurants of California, Inc., McDonald’s USA LLC, and the franchise operator, arguing that employees observed Green wandering near cars for ten minutes without taking any action. It is alleged that they did not call 911 or intervene during the assault.

“The visible warning signs required the defendant to take defensive action, but they did nothing,” the complaint explains. “This failure to recognize and respond to the danger led directly to the injury and death.”

Rangel’s attorneys contend that the location has a history of violent incidents and criminal activity, and that McDonald’s should have been aware of these dangers. The lawsuit includes claims for wrongful death, negligence, and premises liability, seeking various damages.

Green initially faced felony and misdemeanor charges, but prosecutors later dismissed the felony charges after reviewing surveillance footage, which indicated that Vargas Luna’s fall might have been accidental. Green was released on his own recognizance, but details regarding the remaining misdemeanor charge are unclear.