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Kevin Trejo, 21, of Westwood was arrested Monday and charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer with bodily fluid, tampering and creating a hazardous condition, Police Chief Joseph Madden said.
Authorities “received information that an employee of a local coffee shop was spitting in the drinks of law enforcement that patronized the establishment,” Madden said.
Police quickly arrested Trejo, who the chief said bragged about what he'd done.
Trejo also was fired from his job at the Starbucks in the Ridgemont Shopping Center on Kinderkamack Road.
Madden thanked management their “for their sincere cooperation. We have had an extremely positive relationship with this business establishment and they have welcomed our community policing initiatives.
“We believe this was an isolated act but it does not remove the shock and disgust that our officers feel.”
“Under the current COVID threat, it is extremely disturbing to think that someone would intentionally spit in your drink,” the chief added.
The Starbucks has opened its doors to several “Coffee with a Cop” events, Madden noted.
"We appreciate how receptive management was once this investigation began,” he said.
(NOTE: Daily Voice ordinarily doesn't identify businesses that fire employees accused of wrongdoing and cooperate fully with authorities. Owners of other shops were concerned, however, that they could be unfairly stigmatized.)
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