SCRANTON -- Three people face criminal charges after a dispute in the drive-thru lane turned into an all-out fight outside the McDonald's restaurant on South Washington Avenue on Sunday morning.
The fight ended with one man being stabbed. That man told police it all started because he was feeling a little impatient.
Charles Almota of Scranton told police a honk of his horn provoked the fight that landed him in the hospital Sunday morning.
Police were called to, of all places, the drive-thru lane of the McDonald's on South Washington Avenue in the city.
A handful of people told police Almota, the impatient driver, had provoked an all-out brawl.
According to police reports, Almota honked his horn at the car in front of him in line. That driver, Tarsean Neal, and his girlfriend Mariah Hill, got out of the car and started arguing with Almota. When the argument became violent, Hill came up from behind and stabbed Almota in the back.
Hill was charged with aggravated assault. Neal was charged with disorderly conduct.
Police say it seems almost everyone involved in the fight had a short fuse. The stabbing victim, Charles Almota, is facing charges of assault and harassment for allegedly waving a baseball bat at people during the brawl.
Almota was treated and released from the hospital. No one else was hurt.
The McDonald's on South Washington Avenue has had problems with crime in the past. So much so, that a Scranton Police officer is stationed there overnight. But, police say that officer's shift was over an hour before the fight began Sunday morning.