California man accused of throwing hot coffee at fast food manager in attack

A San Francisco Bay Area man who has two previous strikes is facing a potential sentence of life in prison after he allegedly threw scalding hot coffee at a fast-food restaurant manager, authorities said.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe's office announced Tuesday that 64-year-old Willie Anthony Quinn of San Mateo was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault likely to produce great bodily injury and possession of methamphetamine.

According to San Mateo police, Quinn was charged in connection with an incident at the Jack in the Box restaurant on 3rd Avenue on Saturday morning. Officers said Quinn went to the restaurant around 9:30 a.m. and asked the manager for free food.

The manager, a 55-year-old woman, declined and said it was against company policy.

A customer stepped in and purchased a meal and a cup of hot coffee for Quinn, police said. Quinn then demanded a fresh cup of coffee from the manager and began cursing and yelling at her when she refused.

Police said the manager was escorting Quinn out of the restaurant when he threw a cup of hot coffee on her face and neck. The victim's face was already beginning to blister when 911 was called.

The temperature of the coffee was about 200 degrees.

With the help of security video, officers found Quinn the next day and he was arrested after being identified by the victim. Police said he was found with a small bag of methamphetamine in his pocket.

According to the DA's office, Quinn's two strikes consisted of a 1995 assault with a deadly weapon conviction and a felony assault with a gun conviction in 2009.

Quinn was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty to all charges, prosecutors said. He remains in custody at the San Mateo County Jail on $10,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 5.