Teen Chases Taco Bell Job—Ends Up in Handcuffs

Newsweek

11-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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An 18-year-old jobseeker was arrested after entering a Taco Bell in Michigan on Thursday, flashing what appeared to be a handgun and making threats when staff did not respond to his employment inquiries, Dearborn Heights police said.
Newsweek contacted the restaurant via telephone, as well as Taco Bell's head office and the Dearborn Police Department via email outside normal working hours on Friday for comment.
The Context
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor, in June, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased by 190,000 to 1.6 million, largely offsetting a decrease the prior month. The long-term unemployed accounted for 23.3 percent of all unemployed people.
A report by Fox News showed Taco Bell advertising that they are actively hiring.
A Taco Bell restaurant in Walnut Creek, California, on April 8, 2025.
A Taco Bell restaurant in Walnut Creek, California, on April 8, 2025.
Smith Collection/Gado/What To Know
Police say the man, frustrated by the lack of response to his job inquiries at the restaurant on Telegraph Road near Ann Arbor Trail, showed up at the restaurant.
"He came in pretty upset that he's been reaching out to that Taco Bell for the last week or so, trying to communicate on his cellphone and he wasn't getting any response from them," Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed Haidar said, as reported by ABC News.
Once the teenager arrived, he lifted his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a pistol, threatening and scaring employees who thought the gun was real. The man reportedly also overturned a table before fleeing.
"[He] brandished a weapon at the time. Two times, exited, came back in, flipped over a table," Haidar said, according to ABC News.
The restaurant locked its doors during the incident, pushing customers to use the drive-through as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
Police handcuffed and arrested the man a few blocks away and recovered a BB gun. Officers later determined that the weapon was a modified BB gun resembling a Glock, Fox News reported.
Haidar said the suspect has no prior criminal history and expressed hope that the young man would learn from the mistake and avoid entering the legal system over such an incident.
What People Are Saying
Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed Haidar, as reported by Fox News: "[He] doesn't have a history. Sounds like he's an 18-year-old kid that's on a downslide right now. He's just trying to find a job, trying to do right. Made a poor decision."
What Happens Next
Authorities are continuing their investigation. Even brandishing a BB gun can lead to serious charges. Investigators plan to forward charges of felony assault and brandishing a firearm to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Fox reported.
While the incident could carry serious consequences, Haidar said police will work to ensure the man receives the support he needs, ABC News reported.
The chief said a request for charges would be submitted to the prosecutor's office by Friday, noting that the final decision on any charges rests with the prosecutor, Fox reported.