Man accused of stealing after getting wrong Maccas order

A RESPECTED Ashfield businessman is spitting chips after police woke him and his kids at his home and threatened to fine him $300 for “stealing” McDonald’s after he was given the wrong order.

Ashfield business owner Santo La Rocca says police threatened to fine him for “stealing” after he got the wrong order from McDonald’s at Bass Hill. Picture: John Appleyard

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A RESPECTED local businessman is spitting chips after police threatened to fine him for “stealing” McDonalds after he was given the wrong order.

Santo La Rocca said he paid cash for two double cheese burgers, two large chips, nuggets and two frozen Cokes at the Bass Hill McDonalds drive-through about 8.30pm on March 22.

Mr La Rocca, who has owned Tender Loving Cuts hair salon in Ashfield for 20 years, said he didn’t realise he had been given someone else’s dinner, which was worth about $17 more than what he ordered, until they got home.

“My daughter was a bit annoyed because she didn’t get her nuggets but I said just suck it up and we ate it,” Mr La Rocca said.

“I couldn’t be bothered to take it back because how many times do they stuff up your order when you go through the drive through?”

Mr La Rocca says he’s not the hamburglar and defintely not the Hamburglar.

Two hours later he and his two children were woken by two police officers at their home after McDonald’s reported the incident.

“They accused me of stealing McDonald’s and I thought it was a joke,” Mr La Rocca said.

“The (McDonald’s staff) told police I just ordered two frozen Cokes but I ordered more than that.

“I explained that to the officers and they said you should have returned the food that didn’t belong to me and I said: ‘No, they stuffed it up so why should I go back?’

“It’s a ridiculous waste of time to chase people for getting the wrong Maccas order.

“Shouldn’t they be fighting crime, not fighting the Hamburglar?”

Police tracked him down after obtaining the numberplate of his car.

Police said they received a report Mr La Rocca filmed staff at the Bass Hill McDonald’s without their permission and allegedly failed to pay for food.

A NSW police spokesman confirmed officers from the Bankstown area command: “attended a fast food restaurant about 9pm on Thursday, March 22 following reports a man had earlier driven into the drive through and began filming staff without permission and allegedly failed to pay for food.”

He confirmed officers attended Mr La Rocca’s home about 10.30pm to speak to him about both the theft and filming allegations.

“Following inquiries, police will not be taking any formal action due to conflicting versions provided.”

Mr La Rocca says he paid cash for what he ordered and didn’t realise it was someone else’s dinner until he got home. Picture: John Appleyard.

Mr La Rocca said he and son Maximus had been filming staff on their phones for Snapchat “for a bit of harmless fun” and did not feel that justified the late night visit from police.

He said police seemed mainly concerned with the supposed stealing offence and threatened to fine him $300 but decided to “let him off”.

They did not discuss potential penalties for the filming, he said.

A spokesman for McDonald’s told news.com.au they called police because Mr La Rocca was allegedly filming employees without their permission.

“Our employees felt intimidated by the person filming them without consent and decided to notify the police, who chose to investigate further,” McDonald’s said in a statement.

Bass Hill McDonalds store manager Ahmed Kawas said he was unaware of the incident but refused to investigate it unless he received an official request to do so by Mr La Rocca or police.

“I need him to approach the restaurant and my licensee and then I can look into it,” he said.

The McDonald’s media team was contacted for comment.

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