Inset: Ashley Andrews (Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff). Background: The Taco Bell where Andrews allegedly threatened employees in Chester, Md. (Google Maps).
A Maryland woman was recently arrested after threatening the staff at a Taco Bell over her food order, according to law enforcement in the Old Line State.
Ashley Andrews, 30, stands accused of one count each of second-degree assault, displaying a handgun to a person, disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct, and reckless endangerment, according to a press release issued by the Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff.
The underlying incident occurred on June 18 at the fast-food taco joint's location in Kent Town Market in Chester, a sparsely populated, census-designated place on Kent Island located some 15 miles east of Annapolis.
Deputies responded to a report of a woman "displaying a handgun during a verbal altercation" with employees, the sheriff's office said.
When law enforcement arrived, two people were initially detained.
The first was a woman who matched "the suspect's description," according to law enforcement; this turned out to be the defendant. The second was identified only as "a person with Andrews' group who was involved in an on-going verbal argument inside of the restaurant."
After taking Andrews into custody, deputies took a "loaded firearm" off her "person" and had staff members further identify her as the suspect in question, the sheriff's office said.
"Staff advised Andrews had become upset over her wait time for her food and during a verbal argument told staff members to meet her outside in the parking lot," the press release reads. "She then lifted her shirt to show her gun and used threatening language towards them."
After reviewing surveillance footage, as well as footage from an employee's cellphone, investigators determined Andrews did, in fact, act "as described," according to the sheriff's office.
Specifically, deputies said the footage showed the defendant "lifting her shirt to display a handgun and placing her hand on the grip of the gun while arguing with staff."
Aside from the alleged demand for employees to meet her outside, however, it is unclear what other threats, if any, were made.
Andrews was quickly assessed $5,000 bail, which she posted the next day, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The case docket shows the defendant is being represented by a public defender. On Monday, she invoked her speedy trial rights.
Trial is slated for July 23.
Law&Crime reached out to the sheriff's office for additional details on this story, but the office had not responded by the time of publication.
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