A same-sex couple in California said they were tossed out of a Burger King by the fast-food restaurant's employees. The men say one of those employees also hurled homophobic slurs at them.
Leo Mendez said he and his husband, Romiro Mendez, decided to grab some food on their way home for them and their son on July 24, ordering the food through Burger King's app, reported Newsweek.
However, when they went to collect their food, the couple were told the restaurant was closed.
"Our two-year-old son was hungry, so I decided to place an order using my Burger King app so we wouldn't have to wait for the food and because it's right off the freeway," Leo Mendez told Newsweek. "When we got to Burger King restaurant, the manager refused to give us our food saying the restaurant was closed even though they were still open."
Leo Mendez added that the employee yelled at them and that said they would get a weapon.
"He was calling us f******, laughing at us, flipping us off, and said he was going to go get the strap [his gun] from the back," he said. There is video of the employee usign the slur towards them.
While they were trying to drive away, the employee came out of the building, continuing to yell at the couple they allege.
"My husband and I were so scared for our lives we left without caring about a refund, food, or anything we just wanted to go home and be safe," Leo Mendez said.
Local police in Stanislaus County told TV Station KGTV that the Burger King employees were cooperating and told authorities it was the Mendez's who were the ones who were aggressive first.
However, police have sent the case to the District Attorney's office for a potential misdemeanor hate crime since the couple felt physically threatened.
"We shouldn't wait for something to happen. We should pursue it when we can actually make an action, not wait until someone has been shot, someone has been killed," Romiro Mendez told the station.
The couple said they have not heard from Burger King about the incident.