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James Iannazzo, age 48, of Fairfield, was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 22, following the incident at Robeks, which is located at 2061 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
Police said Iannazzo was angry after his son suffered a severe allergic reaction to a smoothie made with nuts. He reportedly told officers he had not informed the employees of his son's peanut allergy, but he said he had asked that they make the smoothie without peanut butter.
A video of the incident went viral after it was posted to TikTok.
Iannazzo cursed and yelled at the employees, and referenced an employee's immigrant status, police said.
Police said Iannazzo was charged with:
- Second-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias
- Second-degree breach of peace
- First-degree criminal trespass
According to a report from ABC 7, Merrill Lynch released a statement saying Iannazzo, who worked as a financial advisor, no longer works for the company.
"Our company does not tolerate behavior of this kind," the statement reads. "We immediately investigated and have taken action. This individual is no longer employed at our firm."
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