A routine shift at a McDonald’s restaurant turned horrific when a 20-year-old employee was doused with scalding hot oil by a co-worker in an unprovoked attack.Jacob Smith remained in intensive care for more than a week after suffering second-degree burns to his face, neck, arms and back in the May 30 incident in Yuba City, California. Police arrested 23-year-old McDonald’s employee Jalani Bluett in connection with the attack.According to Smith’s mother, Amber Smith, her son was performing normal work duties when the incident occurred.“He was in the office counting money when he saw something out of the corner of his eye, and he turned around and the oil was poured on him,” she told KCRA.Investigators have not revealed a motive, and Smith himself has struggled to understand why he was targeted.“As his mother, it breaks my heart when he looks at me and says ‘Why would he do this to me?'” Amber Smith wrote in an online fundraiser to help pay for her son’s medical bills and living expenses while he is unable to work.As of Sunday, the fundraiser was close to reaching its $22,000 goal. Smith is said to be engaged and faces a lengthy recovery period.Amber Smith said her son was in severe pain.“The pain he was experiencing was so excruciating that they couldn’t provide him with a level of pain medication outside of the ICU,” she said.Doctors are working to reduce the extent of the burns and hope to avoid skin grafts.After the attack, Brutt fled the restaurant and was later reported missing. He was “considered at risk due to diagnosis and vulnerability.” He was found, arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including battery causing serious bodily injury.Bruter is being held without bail as investigators continue to look into what led to the shocking incident.“I hope justice is served. I hope he serves the time he needs to serve for what he did to my son,” Amber Smith said.She added: “I mean, I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. I just want him to understand what he did – to really understand what he did – and the pain that he caused my son is unbearable.”
