A Starbucks employee accused of stealing credit card information from a customer was fired from the store in Bellflower, California, after the angry patron returned and confronted her about the theft on video.
In a video that has been viewed more than 3.1 million times since Sunday, Starbucks customer Juana Martinez confronts the cashier at the store's drive-thru, which she visited a few days earlier. Martinez accuses the employee of taking down her credit card information during the prior visit and using it to run up a $200 bill at a Ralphs supermarket.
After the customer tells the Starbucks employee that she has surveillance video of her using the card at Ralphs, the teenager admits what she did.
"I'm sorry that I took money from you and your kids," the unidentified
employee said in the video, according to KTLA-TV. "I'm sorry that you had to come up here. I'm sorry that this is inconvenient for you . . . I am a good child. I swear I am really good. I really do go to school. I'm 19. I play soccer."
Starbucks told the television station Tuesday that it is aware of the situation between Martinez and the worker.
"We were extremely troubled to learn of this incident, and we have been working directly with the customer to address this situation," a spokesman said. "We value our customers' trust, and this experience was completely unacceptable . . . We will support local authorities in any investigation. At this point, I can confirm that this partner [employee] no longer works for Starbucks."
Martinez ultimately decided not to file charges after learning the Starbucks worker was fired.
"I almost feel bad for the girl but she robbed the wrong person," Brian Espinoza, who said he is
Martinez's brother, wrote on Facebook. "Keep an eye out folks, even if it's at your friendly neighborhood Starbucks."
Some on Twitter commented on the awkward confrontation.
One YouTube commenter, though, wondered if Martinez could have handled the incident differently.
"Because you couldn't have just gone in and spoken to her personally? You had to intimidate and abuse her and swear in front of your kids," YouTube user Josie X commented. "Yeah, I see who the true classy one is here. You could have approached her with kindness. Everyone goes through bad situations and makes mistakes."