Former employee robs Orlando McDonald's after being fired, deputies say

Report: Man armed with BB gun asks for manager who fired him

ORLANDO, Fla. – A man is facing charges after deputies said he robbed the Orlando McDonald's from which he was fired last month.

According to an arrest report from the Orange County Sheriff's Office, 19-year-old Emmanuel Barbon-Verdecia entered the restaurant at 5175 Conway Road through the back door Tuesday night and asked for the general manager who fired him. 

Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​, who was fired from the store last week, was carrying a backpack and a silver BB gun, which employees thought was a handgun at the time, when he barged in and began asking for a manager, the report said.

When another employee told Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ that the general manager was not there at the time, he asked to see the shift manager, deputies said.

The employee pointed Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ in the direction of the shift manager and saw him point the gun at her, the report said. Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ knew the shift manager well because they worked together and had previously attended high school together, according to the report.

Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ asked the shift manager where the general manager was, deputies said. When the shift manager told Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ the general manager wasn't there, he continued pointing the weapon at her and demanded she take him to the safe, according to the sheriff's office.

The shift manager gave Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ $255 in cash before he fled on foot through the back door, witnesses said.

After learning of the robbery, the general manager arrived at the store and told deputies they had worked together for more than a year, and that he had repeatedly not shown up to work on time, if at all, according to the report.

He fired Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ last week after he didn't show up on time once again, the general manager said. He said he called Barbon-Verdecia to find out where he was and Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ told him he would be there shortly, but then said "(expletive) you and all your managers," according to the report.

Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ hung up and the general manager terminated his employment, the general manager told investigators. 

Deputies said Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ returned to the scene after fleeing Tuesday, but he had already gone home and changed his clothes. Investigators who were still at the restaurant recognized him from surveillance video.

Investigators located the cash, backpack and BB gun in Barbon-Verdecia's brother's vehicle after his brother had driven him back to the scene, deputies said.

Barbon-Verdecia​​​​​​​ was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail on charges of robbery while being armed with a weapon, aggravated assault with a weapon and theft of $100 or more, according to the report.


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