A former Starbucks employee is facing charges for allegedly spitting in police officers’ drinks.
Park Ridge police say that 21-year-old Kevin Trejo faces several charges related to knowingly targeting police officers by spitting in the drinks that they ordered.
Park Ridge Police Capt. Joseph Rampolla tells News 12 New Jersey that the department received a tip about the crime about a week ago and began the investigation. Rampolla says that he is shocked by the crime and says that they are worried about COVID-19 and hepatitis in this type of situation.
A spokesperson for Starbucks tells News 12 by phone that Trejo has been fired and that Starbucks is working closely with the police department.
“This individual’s behavior was reprehensible and not at all a reflection of how our partners (employees) treat our customers on a daily basis. As soon as we learned of what took place, we moved quickly to investigate, and can now confirm this individual is no longer a Starbucks employee,” Starbucks spokesperson Sara Autio told News 12.
“We want everyone who comes into our stores to receive a positive experience and when that doesn’t occur, we move quickly to address it and hold ourselves accountable. We will continue to support Park Ridge Police in their investigation and have a deep respect for the Park Ridge Police Department and the officers who help keep our partners and communities safe,” Autio said.
Park Ridge police say that they believe that this is an isolated incident and that the department has a great relationship with the local Starbucks.