A Southern California man is being commended for his quick actions after he jumped through an In-N-Out drive-through window in Lake Elsinore to confront a woman reportedly threatening employees with a stick.
The incident, which occurred around 1 a.m. Wednesday, gained public attention after a bystander in the drive-through line posted a video of the confrontation to Instagram. The witness described the man's actions, stating he made an acrobatic, feet-first leap through the window and began confronting the woman who had, according to the witness, chased staff into a back room. The bystander credited the man with having "totally saved the day."
Luca Opperman, 20, identified as the customer, recounted hearing a "super loud banging noise" while at the second window to pick up his order. He then observed a woman overhead smashing what he described as a "baseball bat-sized stick, basically like a tree branch," onto a counter inside the restaurant. Opperman yelled at the woman to leave, but she instead opened a folding latch that separated the lobby from the kitchen and began advancing toward employees who had retreated to the back.
Seeing the situation escalate, Opperman quickly jumped through the service window. He grabbed the nearest item he could find, a spatula. Reflecting on the moment, he noted he might have been better served by a fryer basket, but the event unfolded rapidly. The woman swung the stick at him, to which he responded by waiting for a brief turn away before delivering what he called a "shoulder check" to disarm her and seize the stick.
Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene. Lt. Deirdre Vickers, a sheriff’s public information officer, confirmed that deputies located the woman outside the restaurant and detained her without further incident. No injuries were reported during the confrontation.
The woman was identified as Antonieta Sanchez, 53, of Redlands. She was subsequently booked into the Southwest Detention Center on suspicion of felony vandalism and brandishing a weapon, as confirmed by Vickers.
Opperman, a college student, credited his past experiences with freestyle trampolining, parkour, and rugby for his ability to react quickly and jump through the window. He also shared that his previous work in fast food motivated him to intervene. He expressed a sense of loyalty, stating he had to "stand up for my fellow brothers," adding that fast food employees are not compensated enough to face such dangerous situations.
The video of the incident quickly garnered significant attention online, collecting more than 64,000 likes and numerous comments praising Opperman as a hero. In-N-Out Burger also recognized his actions, with chief operating officer Denny Warnick releasing a statement. Warnick expressed gratitude that a customer "bravely intervened to ensure the safety of everyone nearby" and commended Opperman's "selflessness and quick thinking," confirming the company had conveyed its appreciation directly to him.
Despite the widespread praise and suggestions that he had martial arts training, Opperman remained modest about his intervention. He maintained that his actions were more a matter of "being in the right place at the right time" rather than exceptional skill.
