A 21-year-old New Jersey Starbucks employee is facing charges after he spat in drinks ordered by police officers and then bragged about it, leading to his arrest, according to reports.
Kevin Trejo of Westwood, NJ was charged with subjecting a law enforcement officer to contact with bodily fluid, after he made the decision to spit in a cup of coffee ordered by a cop, creating a hazardous or dangerous condition, police said.
Trejo boasted about spitting in cups at the Park Ridge location enough times that law enforcement eventually got involved, questioning the man about his devious acts.
With the pandemic still a very real concern, Trejo's actions are even more disgusting as he easily could have infected the officers with COVID-19. Bodily fluids are the most common way people catch the virus.
“Under the current COVID threat, it is extremely disturbing to think that someone would intentionally spit in your drink," Park Ridge Police Capt. Joseph Rampolla said in a statement.
The Park Ridge Starbucks has been a popular spot for cops in the area, said Rampolla. The site even has hosted multiple "Coffee with a Cop" events, as the relationship between the coffee shop and police has always been "amicable," he added.
However, Starbucks did announce in June they were creating "Black Lives Matter" T-shirts for employees to wear on the job. The move came after the coffee chain reportedly banned employees from wearing any clothing item related to the "Black Lives Matter" movement.
Starbucks condemned the actions of Trejo calling them "reprehensible", and they have confirmed the young man has been fired, according to NorthJersey.com.
“We will continue to support Park Ridge Police in support of their investigation and have a deep respect for the Park Ridge Police Department and the officers who help keep our partners and communities safe,” the Starbucks spokesman said. “We want everyone who comes into our stores to receive a positive experience and when that doesn’t occur, we move quickly to address it and hold ourselves accountable."
While there have not been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 as a result of Trejo's behavior, Rampolla said his department is closely monitoring officers who may have been exposed to the virus.