Man Without Mask Told To Leave Burger King Returns, Chokes Employee

A man from New Jersey who had a disagreement with a Burger King staff because he was unwilling to wear a mask, returned later in the day to choke one of the employees, authorities said Monday.

The incident occurred a little after 4 pm on March 27 at the Burger King outlet on Route 23 in Wayne. The police said the accused was asked to leave the restaurant premises earlier over a facemask row but he returned later to attack and choke an employee, NBC New York reports.

Capt. Dan Daly said David Siversten, 47, has been taken into custody with the charge of aggravated assault. The Wayne Police identified with the help of the employee that Siversten was the man who choked a female employee at the fast-food restaurant. The police said he had walked into the restaurant towards an employee and “wrapped both hands around her neck and began strangling her.”

During the investigation, Siversten was found to be the same man who was involved in an argument before fleeing the restaurant earlier in the day. The employee who faced the attack was rescued by her colleagues. The Police said the man had then left the restaurant on foot and was later found in a driveway.

The police tracked him down with the assistance of the description provided by the employees and found him sitting in a Newark-Pompton Turnpike driveway. Siversten had fled the restaurant before the police arrived on both accounts, once when he got into a tiff with employees for not willing to wear the facemask and another after the attempt to strangle the employee.

Capt. Daly said, “As the officer approached, the suspect came toward him stating, ‘You got me”. It appeared that the suspect was discomposed and under the influence of alcohol.

The police said Siversten "became uncooperative during interrogation and injured himself by deliberately slamming his head against the steel bench to which he was handcuffed." He was taken to the hospital for examination and transported to the Passaic County Jail. At this point, it is unclear if the accused has an attorney to represent him before the court hearing.

The victim had complained of pain but denied any need for medical assistance.