Police are asking the public for information about a woman who is accused of throwing her iced coffee at a young Dunkin' employee.
According to a police report obtained by Boston.com, at approximately 12:45 p.m. on May 16, a Dunkin' employee at a Woburn, Mass. location was allegedly the victim of an assault while serving a "hostile" customer.
"[The employee] stated that she began to scream at her in regards to the drink she ordered," the report said. "[The employee] stated that the female began to yell obscenities and proceeded to grab the drink off [of] the counter and throw it directly at [the employee], striking her in the head."
Newsweek reached out to the Woburn Police Department and confirmed with Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr., details about the attack and the assailant.
"She does have tattoos on her leg, it looks like a flower ring, and possibly another tattoo on her instep, I believe on her right foot," Rufo said about the suspect's description.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Customer throws (iced) coffee at 18-year-old worker at @dunkindonuts on Mishawum Road in Woburn. The worker’s mom says this was over a dispute about cream. They plan to file a police report. pic.twitter.com/XA96E6blEc
— Mike Saccone (@mikesacconetv) May 16, 2021
Subsequent footage of the woman's alleged tirade surfaced on Twitter and was later obtained by WHDH. The video shows the patron, who is accompanied by a young child, growing angry at the employee. The woman took the coffee cup and hurled it at the employee, who appears to reel back in shock.
According to a Woburn Police Department press release obtained by Newsweek, law enforcement arrived on scene at 1:30 p.m. and assessed that "a customer had become upset due to confusion about her order." They also confirmed that the employee was not seriously injured.
WHDH identified the employee as 18-year-old Emma Dionne, who told the outlet the customer became aggressive when one of her drinks in her order was made without whipped cream.
"I was like 'Oh I'm sorry, let me put whipped cream on this for you,'" Dionne said to WHDH. "She just starts cussing and says how we shouldn't be working here because of how rude we were.
"As soon as I go to like walk back over behind the counter is when she chucked the [iced] coffee on my head," she added. "It hit like the back of my ponytail and I was very ... shaken. I like didn't understand what happened."
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The Woburn Police Department posted photos of the unidentified woman on Facebook on Monday, calling upon the public for any information on the woman. The post also confirmed that the suspect fled from the store after the alleged attack and left the area before police arrived.
Facebook viewers were furious with her alleged actions in front of the unidentified minor.
"Sad that the child had to see it and I am surprised the news didn't make an excuse for her behavior," one person wrote. "Take the TRASH out," another added.
Dunkin' has also stirred controversy in recent weeks with viral videos of employees sharing company secrets online. In one viral video, a young worker shows off how much food waste an average location produces in one day. In another, an employee shows how various drinks and food items are produced in the store.
Correction 05/25/2021, 10:20 a.m. ET: An earlier version of this headline and story referred to Dunkin' by its former name, Dunkin' Donuts.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
