A Connecticut man has been criminally charged and lost his job after he was seen in a now-viral video yelling at employees who he says made a drink that triggered his son’s nut allergy, then made a derogatory comment questioning an employee’s immigration status.
The man, identified as James Iannazzo, purchased a smoothie Saturday from a Robeks store in Fairfield, Connecticut, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
Police say Iannazzo later called 911 for “a minor with an allergic reaction” who was taken to an area hospital.
Iannazzo then returned to the store and allegedly “confronted employees, yelling at them and demanding to know who made the peanut smoothie, causing his child’s allergic reaction,” the police department said in a statement.
The video of Iannazzo yelling at employees has gone viral on social media. He can be heard shouting swear words around the store and seen throwing a drink at an employee.
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Iannazzo was charged with intimidation based on bigotry or second-degree bias, a felony in Connecticut. He was also charged with second-degree breach of the peace and first-degree criminal trespass, both misdemeanors.
Officials confirmed that Iannazzo had surrendered to authorities. Store workers told police the man didn’t tell them about his son’s peanut allergy, but he asked that there be no peanut butter in the drink.
Frank J. Riccio II, attorney for Iannazzo, said in a statement on Twitter Sunday that the man “wholeheartedly regrets the incident” and that he “emphasized to the staff that the product must not contain peanuts”.
“When faced with a dire situation for his son, Mr. Iannazzo’s parental instinct kicked in and he acted out of anger and fear,” the statement said. “He is not a racist individual and deeply regrets his statements and actions during a time of extreme emotional stress.”
Bill Halldin, a spokesperson for Merrill Lynch, said the company “does not condone such behavior” and confirmed that Iannazzo “is no longer employed at our company”.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Robeks called the incident disturbing.
“At Robeks, our priority is to protect both store team members and guests. The company and its franchisees have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior, and we are grateful that members of the franchisee’s team were not physically injured,” the smoothie chain said in the statement.
