LEESBURG, Fla. – A woman who tried to grab a bite spent Christmas behind bars. She’s accused of throwing drinks through a Wendy’s drive-thru window, and pinning an employee against a wall, during an argument that started over the small selection of sauces.
“The victim was working at the drive-thru counter when she overheard a disturbance,” the manager told police in Florida on the evening of Dec. 23.
“The victim asked for her assistance because a customer identified as Melissa Taratuta,” the arrest report continued, “was requesting a manager.
“The manager explained that the defendant was at the drive-thru speaker, ordering her food, and the victim asked what sauces she wanted for her order. The manager heard the victim say to the defendant that they only had two sauces available. The defendant then stated, ‘Why the f*** did you offer sauces that you were out of.’
“After completing her order, the defendant sped around to the drive-thru window and became extremely confrontational with the victim about the sauces. The manager advised the victim tried to explain to the defendant that they were simply out of most of the sauces, and the defendant told her to ‘shut up’ because she was on the telephone.
“The victim said she tried to avoid the confrontation and handed the defendant the drinks that went with the order. The defendant took the drinks and threw them through the drive-thru window. When the defendant threw the food through the drive-thru window, the drinks hit the floor, causing the lids to come off and the contents splashed onto the victim, the manager, and two other employees.”
Neither side was satisfied, and Taratuta reportedly wanted seconds.
“The victim closed the drive-thru window,” the arrest report said, “but the defendant reopened the window and threw another cup containing soda through the window, which splashed onto the victim.”
Then, to retaliate, “The victim selected the largest cup Wendy’s offers and filled it with soda from the drink machine. The victim then threw this cup of soda through the drive-thru window, into the defendant’s vehicle.”
Then, she did something risky.
“The victim decided to exit the business,” the report explained, “and walk toward the defendant’s vehicle to get the license plate number, while the manager contacted the Leesburg Police Department for assistance.
“As the victim approached the defendant’s vehicle, the defendant drove forward, pinning the victim against the wall of the drive-thru with her vehicle.”
Both sides would later explain what they were thinking, but, “The victim was able to squeeze herself from being pinned against the wall, and walked to the front driver side window of the defendant’s vehicle. The manager then stated the victim struck the defendant with a closed fist through the open window. The victim then walked away and reentered the business.”
About the punch, “The victim said she struck the defendant in the mouth area in self-defense, and then walked away, back into the business. The victim said she received two small abrasions on her left hand near her knuckles, as a result of being pinned against the brick wall of the drive-thru area.”
The male employee “explained he was preparing food orders” when he was splashed, and “shouted to the defendant that she was ‘wrong for that,’” but “she threw a second cup of soda through the window.”
At that point, “He decided to throw a bag of food through the drive-thru window, into the defendant’s vehicle,” and go with the victim for the license plate number.
Tatatuta told another officer “the victim became upset” because she asked for “certain sauces.”
Then, “She drove around to the drive-thru window” and “handed her debit/credit card to the victim,” but, she reportedly admitted, “The victim became more enraged due to her being on the cell phone and ‘talking s***’ about the victim to her boyfriend.
“The victim disrespectfully handed the defendant her drink order, including shoving it toward her. The defendant said she did not like the service she was receiving from the victim, and threw her drink order back into the drive-thru window. The victim then filled the largest cup they offered with soda and threw it through the drive-thru window, into the defendant’s vehicle.
“The defendant said the manager proceeded to film her with a cell phone. While she was arguing with the manager, the defendant noticed the victim and the male employee exiting the business and walking toward her vehicle. The defendant said she did not know the intentions of the victim and the male employee and decided to angle her vehicle toward the wall to keep them away from her.
“While trying to angle her vehicle against the wall, the victim was able to get through and approach her open driver-side window and strike her face with a closed fist. The victim then walked away and re-entered the business with the male employee.”

The punch left Taratuta with “a laceration on the inside of her lip that was actively bleeding during my investigation,” the officer wrote, but, “The cup the victim threw and the food that the male employee threw did not strike her,” and “the soda in the cup thrown by the victim splashed on her, and the interior of her vehicle.”
Also, “The defendant said she simply threw the drinks back into the drive-thru window because she did not like the victim’s attitude. She did not intend to strike anyone with the cups.”
And, “The defendant said when she saw both the victim and male employee exit the building, she thought they were going to batter her, and she used her vehicle to block their path.”
Plus, “She did not mean to pin the victim with her vehicle against the wall, but simply tried to block them from battering her.”
But the victim “thought that the defendant was trying to strike her with the vehicle, and ultimately did so. Therefore, she decided to strike the defendant with a closed fist in the face, near her mouth.”
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Surveillance video was supposed to be rolling the whole time with “a camera on the interior near the drive-thru window, facing outward,” the officer continued, “but I was unable to obtain the footage due to the manager not knowing how to operate the system. A manager will not be available until 12-30-2024, or so, that can operate the system.”
Court documents filed since then don’t mention any video.
Taratuta ended up leaving Wendy’s with a trespass warning the manager requested, so she wouldn’t return.
The police officer wrote about continuing the investigation the next day, at about 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, speaking with all involved parties, and arresting Taratuta at a Walgreens.
She was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon – the car – for pinning the employee against the wall, and simple battery for throwing the cups of soda into the restaurant.
Taratuta, 35, spent 16 hours in jail until her release in lieu of $6,000 bond, and was ordered to have no contact with the victim. She pleaded not guilty to both charges, and her arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 18.
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