San Diego

Complaint Over Employee's Handling of Donuts Leads to Fight in 7-Eleven

The customer said he used to work in food services and wasn’t a fan of how the employee was handling the donuts without gloves on

A 7-Eleven customer tells NBC 7 his complaint to the store clerk about the way he was handling donuts without gloves led to a brawl in between store shelves.

The alleged attack happened last week at a store on Jamacha Boulevard near Grand Avenue in Spring Valley.

The customer said he used to work in food services and wasn’t a fan of how the employee was handling the donuts without gloves on.

No punches were thrown, but the victim said his head was slammed into a pole. The employee, Kenneth Kestner, 56, is facing a battery charge, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

“I've had headaches every day since,” victim Matthew Buckley said. His face is still battered and bruised. “He continued at me, grabbed my head and slammed my head against a metal pole at the entrance.”

Another customer said the alleged outburst from Kestner didn't surprise him. He shared cell phone video of an altercation from last year that allegedly showed Kestner being aggressive with a homeless man.

“It's not appropriate for a cashier at a gas station to think he's in a gladiator position to assault a customer,” Buckley said.

Now he hopes his pain and suffering will lead to an improvement in the store's customer service and sanitation standards.

“They need to address the fact they’re handling food as an establishment and implement the proper procedures,” Buckley said.

Deputies say Buckley pushed the 7-Eleven employee, but Buckley told NBC 7 he raised his hands to protect himself. Buckley said he is considering legal action.

An NBC 7 crew went into the 7-Eleven Monday to speak with Kestner but he did not comment. NBC 7 also reached out to 7-Eleven's corporate office after hours and hasn’t heard back.

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