A Maryland woman was arrested on multiple charges after she allegedly displayed a handgun during a dispute with Taco Bell employees over a delayed food order. Ashley Andrews, 30, was taken into custody on June 18, according to the Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff.
Deputies responded to a Taco Bell in Chester, Maryland, following reports of a customer showing a firearm. Restaurant workers told authorities that Andrews became angry about the time it was taking to receive her order and challenged staff members to a fight outside the establishment. During the confrontation, she allegedly lifted her shirt to reveal a handgun and placed her hand on the weapon's grip, using threatening language.
Upon arrival, deputies detained Andrews and another individual from her group who was involved in a verbal dispute. A loaded firearm was recovered from Andrews' person. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and a video recorded by an employee, which appeared to corroborate the workers' accounts, the sheriff's office stated.
The incident occurred at a Taco Bell located in the Kent Town Market shopping center on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Surveillance footage showed Andrews displaying the handgun and resting her hand on its grip while continuing to argue with employees.
Andrews was charged with second-degree assault, handgun on person, disorderly conduct, and reckless endangerment. She was also banned from the Taco Bell property. Court records indicate Andrews was initially held on a $5,000 bond before posting bail and being released the following day. She is being represented by a public defender and has invoked her right to a speedy trial, with a court appearance scheduled for July.