A female customer was slapped across the face by a Taco Bell security guard in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. The shocking incident was caught on camera by another patron who witnessed the physical altercation, though it’s unclear what the motive was behind the slap, as the buildup before the disturbance was not captured on film. Be warned that the footage below may be upsetting to some viewers.
The 1-minute video opens in the Taco Bell restaurant in California, and sees a woman in a white cardigan and black shorts approaching the self-ordering kiosk to input her order. Behind her, you can see a security guard gradually getting closer to her. As the customer is tapping the screen and inputting her order, however, the security guard grabs her arm and spins her around to face him.
Shockingly, the Taco Bell security guard suddenly unleashes a brutal slap across her face. Holding her face with one hand, the woman then retreats to the other side of the cantina, though the guard follows her. As they stand for a few moments below a TV screen airing the Super Bowl, there seems to be a bit of a standoff between the pair. Initially, it’s hard to discern what the woman is saying to the guard. However, her words become clearer. “Get out of here. Get away from me. Get away! Get away!” yells the woman at the security guard.
“Leave. I said leave. I said leave.” repeats the guard. After a few moments, the woman begins to make her way to the exit of the Taco Bell premises, escorted by the guard. As she begins to leave, however, the customer shouts some expletives, before the clip comes to a close.
According to the New York Post, the person filming was Alejandro Sanchez, who spoke to SWNS. Describing what he had seen, Sanchez explained, “The security guard was telling her to leave, and she didnโt want to because she was ordering food. Then he just went off, and she started going crazy. He slapped the s**t out of her. It was crazy. Everybody was shocked.” Adding a little more context, the regular patron continued, “Thereโs a Skid Row a couple of blocks away from there, and they just have a lot of traffic.“
As the video continues to snowball online, the internet was quick to dissect the footage and chime in with their thoughts and reactions. Over on Reddit, one user touched on how poverty-stricken and deprived the area must be near that specific Taco Bell, writing:
If fast food needs a security guard. I don’t want to eat there.
hamncheeseplease
A commenter on X, saw some irony in the incident:
What is funny is that someone commented saying they didnโt know they started serving โslappuritosโ at Taco Bell, not knowing that there is a type of Mexican tostada called a Cachetada which translates to โA slap in the faceโ
https://x.com/c23725216/status/1890014060630135071
Another Redditor, meanwhile, was incredibly impressed with the layout and decor of the specific Taco Bell in the video, writing, “Thatโs like the nicest Taco Bell Iโve ever seen.” Replying to this comment, another user added, “It’s a Taco Bell Cantina in DTLA. Serves alcohol. As someone who works in the area, kinda surreal to see it on video.”
At the time of writing, Taco Bell has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
