Copperas Cove McDonald’s employee assaulted at store, has seizure

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

A Copperas Cove woman was arrested by police on Wednesday morning, May 18, nine days after an investigation into a fight which occurred inside the Copperas Cove McDonald’s between one employee and a former employee.

On May 9, officers were dispatched to McDonald's in reference to a fight. According to the arrest affidavit for Mekayla Lynn Miguel, dispatch advised one of the involved parties was a 19-year-old female actively having a seizure.

EMS arrived shortly after to begin assessing the victim having the seizure, while officers spoke with other employees.

At that time officers were initialy told that she was allegedly assaulted by two other female employees, as well as a former employee, Mekayla Lynn Miguel.

Upon speaking with the victim, she said that the three women were upset with her because of an altercation she had with one of their family members. She said that she was behind the counter when they arrived and began arguing with her and quickly began assaulting her.

Officers later spoke with the victim and the two employees, who admitted to confronting her at the store due to an incident with their aunt, but became offended by something the victim said.

Miguel stated she was the only one who engaged in anything physical, and stated the other two remained out of the altercation.

During the investigation that followed, the officer wrote in his report that he met with a McDonald's manager, who initially could not find working video of the incident, but later was able to do so. Upon review of the video, the officer could see the victim on camera, walking behind the counter in the employee-only section, and then a few seconds later, three females identified by the manager as the ones also named by the victim were walking behind the counter to the employee-only section.

“(Miguel) appeared to be visibly upset, based off her movements and appeared to be shouting and arguing with (the victim). (Miguel) continued to argue and attempt to walk towards (the victim) but was held back by employees as was (the victim),” the officer wrote.

Eventually, Miguel then broke away from those holding her back. One of the women could be seen standing away from the group of employees, “watching and laughing” as Miguel proceeded to assault the woman.

The employees were able to successfully pull Miguel away, and (the victim) can be seeing laying on her right side actively seizing.”

The officer stated that Miguel was seen still having to be held back before the three women exited out of the camera’s view and departed the scene.”

The arrest affidavit did not state if the employees initially reported to be involved in the altercation were on the clock at the time that the assault took place.