Black McDonald's employee arrested in California for throwing hot oil on white coworker, victim in ICU with burns to 22% of body

A white McDonald’s employee remains in intensive care after police say his black coworker allegedly threw hot cooking oil at him during a shift, leaving the 20-year-old with severe burns across much of his body. Jacob Smith has been hospitalized for more than a week following the May 30 incident in Yuba City, California, which investigators have attributed to fellow employee Jalani Bluett, 23. Bluett was later arrested after initially being reported as a missing person, according to law enforcement officials.

Smith’s injuries include second-degree burns to his face, neck, arm and back. His mother, Amber Smith, said the situation escalated suddenly inside the restaurant.

“He was in the office getting ready to count the money when he saw out of the corner of his eye something, and he just turned, and the oil was just thrown on him,” she told KCRA.

Smith remains in the ICU, where doctors are continuing treatment for extensive burn injuries. His mother said pain management has required intensive care-level medication. “The pain he’s experiencing is so excruciating that they can’t give him a level of pain medicine outside of the ICU,” she said.

Police have not announced a motive for the attack. Smith’s mother said her son has also been unable to explain what led up to it. “As his mother, it broke my heart when he looked at me and said, ‘Why would he do this to me?,’” she said in a fundraiser organized to assist with medical costs.

Bluett left the scene after the incident and was later listed as a missing person by the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, which described him as “considered at risk due to a diagnosis and vulnerabilities.”

He was later located, taken into custody, and charged with multiple felonies, including battery causing serious bodily injury. He is being held at the Sutter County jail without bail while the investigation continues.

Officials are still working to determine what happened in the moments leading up to the attack.

Amber Smith said her son, who is engaged to be married, is expected to require ongoing treatment, including efforts to reduce burn severity and limit the need for skin graft procedures. The fundraiser supporting him had reached most of its $22,000 goal as of Sunday.

“I want justice to be served. I want him to serve the time he needs to serve for what he’s done to my son,” she said.

“I mean, I don’t wish bad things towards him. I just want him to understand that what he did — really understand what he did — and the pain that he caused to my son is excruciating.”