FORT WORTH, Texas – Carlos Rodriguez tore his MCL during a struggle with the two suspects. Now he has to get surgery, and he’s reaching out to the community that he’s served for years to help him.
Fuego Burger scuffle
What we know:
At Fuego Burger in Fort Worth, customers are always greeted by the same familiar face, Chef and Owner Carlos Rodriguez.
“This is our livelihood. We’ve been doing this since 2009, been in the restaurant business all my life,” said Rodriguez.
The last two months have been hard as Rodriguez is still recovering from injuries he received when two customers assaulted him on May 13.
Rodriguez says three guys came in and placed an order but one of them brought in bottled water. Despite Fuego Burger not allowing outside food or drinks inside the restaurant.
He asked the man to throw out the drink, but the man refused.
Rodriguez asked the two to leave, then says the two started to harass other customers and that’s when things escalated.
“One of them got upset, and I told them if you don’t like it, you can leave,” said Rodriguez.
“I got a little too close, too fast and one of the guys stepped in and kind of bumped me into him and I went to catch myself like this and that’s when he hit me.”
2 arrested for assault
Dig deeper:
Fort Worth police arrested the two people for assault: 24-year-old Nehemiah Green and 22-year-old Dylan Heuermann.
Rodriguez has two fractures in his femur and tore his MCL. He has to move slowly and his wife and son are now taking on the heavy lifting.
“I see my wife and my son, they are working lots of hours, and it just breaks my heart,” he said.
With no health insurance and potential surgery on the horizon, Rodriguez is turning to the community he serves to help raise money.
Customers help
What they’re saying:
“I think it’s fantastic, and I also understand kind of the humility and just the ability to not want to ask for help, but I think the community finally has the opportunity to show him how much he’s appreciated,” said longtime customer Miguel Bermudez.
“You feel like family, you have a great burger, you have great food, great dessert, what else could you want?”
What you can do:
Fuego burger is now raising money through an online fundraiser and has already raised more than $2,000.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from an interview conducted by FOX 4’s Amelia Jones.
Crime and Public SafetyFort WorthFort Worth Police Department