Worker loses right eye: A 19-year-old fast food worker from California loses right eye for trying to stop a man from bullying a boy with special needs while she was at work. The Bay Area resident has lost her eye from the incident, and the suspects are still at large.
According to KNTV, Bianca Palomera was working at Habit Burger Grill in Antioch, California, on November 12. During her shift, she noticed four men harassing a boy with special needs, the brother of one of her co-worker. He was waiting for them until their shift ended.
Palomera said that the suspect was threatening to beat up the boy because of looking at him.
She stepped in to defend the boy, but once Palomera spoke up, the man turned his attention to her, punching her in the face. The surveillance footage of the attack was shared on Facebook by Palomera’s sister.
After the man punched her, a brawl ensued, with multiple customers involved. Palomera was able to free herself from the man, who then fled the store with the three others he arrived with. They took off in a silver BMW, according to KNTV. In the Facebook post, her sister said the men appeared to be between 16 and 21 years old.
The victim was punched and was rushed to a hospital due to the injury she got. Her sister posted on Facebook that the victim sustained irreversible injuries. Palomera will lost her right eye due to the incident.
After the incident, the family did launch a GoFundMe to help cover the medical costs for Bianca. As of this writing, they have already raised $100,000.
We talked to the family tonight at 11 @nbcbayarea https://t.co/tT0x9wH27n
— Cheryl Hurd (@hurd_hurd) November 17, 2022
Palomera has been slowly recovering at home and told KNTV she does not regret confronting the bully.
In a statement from Habit Burger, they said they condemn any form of violence that may affect the safety of their employees and customers. Currently, they are offering full support to Palomera and hope for the recovery of the victim.
The Antioch Police Department said the investigation is still open, and no arrests have been made yet.
