A teenage boy’s work shift turned into pure terror when a machete-wielding stranger stormed into a Southern California laundromat and chased him over one shocking reason — the color of his shirt.
The violent encounter happened at a family-owned laundromat in Pomona, Los Angeles County, where a 17-year-old employee says the man became enraged after spotting his San Francisco 49ers jersey.
Surveillance video from inside the business shows the suspect charging through the laundromat with a large machete, wildly swinging the blade as customers scrambled to escape. At one point, the man smashes through a glass door and comes within inches of seriously injuring someone standing nearby.
“I had a red shirt on because the 49ers were playing that day,” the teen, Jacob Hernandez, told NBC Los Angeles. “He walked in, saw my shirt, and said, ‘Get that effing red off.’”
What followed was a frantic chase. Hernandez can be seen running for safety as the suspect slashes at countertops, lunges through the store, and threatens anyone in his path. The blade repeatedly strikes surfaces as the man rages through the business, sending customers into panic.
The teen’s father, Phil Hernandez, said he heard screams and rushed to secure the business, fearing the worst.
“What shook me the most was that he went after my son,” he said. “I wasn’t supposed to be here that day. My son usually works alone. I don’t know how this could have ended.”
Miraculously, no one was physically injured during the rampage. As of Monday, police said no arrests had been made, and the suspect remains at large.
A normal day at work nearly turned deadly — all because of a football jersey and the color red.
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