‘ANGERED’

Delivery Man Chokes San Francisco Store Clerk Over Face Mask Request

The liquor store employee had asked the 31-year-old driver to cover his nose with his mask, as only his mouth was covered.

A California man has pleaded no contest to felony assault after prosecutors said he choked a liquor store employee who asked him to mask up properly, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said. Rimmer Cortezgarcia Jr., a 31-year-old DoorDash delivery driver, went to Friends Liquor in San Francisco to pick up an order in March 2020. A clerk who asked him to cover his nose with his mask—as only his mouth was covered—said the order would be canceled otherwise, according to KRON 4 News. Describing Cortezgarcia as “angered” by the request, prosecutors said he “grabbed” the 25-year-old employee by the throat and began strangling him, saying he was going to kill him. The victim was able to escape and summon help. Officers arrested Cortezgarcia outside the store. He could serve up to a year in county jail. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March.