Chef Carlos Rodriguez is the owner of Fuego Burger in Fort Worth. For more than two months, he has been working in his restaurant’s kitchen using a cane due to a fracture he suffered after being attacked at his business.
On May 13, three individuals entered his restaurant and, after an argument, they beat Rodriguez, who fractured his femur and injured his knee.
He has not healed and is seeking support because he does not have health insurance and will likely need surgery.
“Two months later, my doctor says I’m not healing up,” Rodriguez told The Dallas Morning News. “I have two fractures, and I have a torn MCL (medial collateral ligament). He told me I need surgery.”
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Rodriguez has been on and off work for weeks. He uses a cane to walk around, which prevents him from moving and working freely. Here, Rodriguez works with his wife, Christie.(Imelda García/Staff writer)
Although he does not yet have the exact amount of money he has spent on his recovery, the number is already over $6,000, he said, and paying for surgery would put his family’s well-being at risk.
“We decided to do a GoFundMe because we don’t have insurance,” Rodriguez said. “We are a family-owned business. We can’t afford insurance; it’s expensive, but now we need all the help we can get.”
Rodriguez was born in El Paso and has lived in Fort Worth since 1990. In 2009, he and his wife, Christie, opened Salsa Fuego, a small Mexican restaurant that became one of the most popular in the region. After expanding to a larger location, the Rodriguezes decided to close their restaurant in 2015.
In 2018, they returned to the scene with Fuego Burger, a restaurant serving hamburgers and Texan dishes.
Rodriguez said there were three men in the group that attacked him, but only two of them participated in the assault.
Vivkijo and John Brozovic decide on what to eat at Fuego Burger on Monday, July 21, 2025, while Rodriguez smiles at the back.(Imelda García/Staff writer)
According to a Fort Worth Police report, the two men were arrested on charges of assault causing bodily injury.
At first, Rodriguez’s goal was to raise $8,000, but now that his situation became complicated, he’s aiming to raise $50,000 to cover his surgery and other injury-related expenses. As of Tuesday afternoon, the GoFundMe already had $6,700 raised.
Fuego Burger is located at 4400 Benbrook Blvd #108, Fort Worth. Fuego Burger.