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(CNN) - When a woman approached a McDonald's counter in Lodi, California, employees probably expected her to order a Big Mac or large fries. Instead, she begged them to help her.
The woman told an employee to call 911, gave them her license plate number and asked them to hide it, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
A police investigation would later reveal that he was traveling with a man who had a history of abusing her. That day, he had threatened her with a gun and demanded that he take him to see his family.
After using McDonald's bathroom, the woman tried to approach the counter again to place an order, police said. But the man she was traveling with stopped her and demanded that she use the drive-thru, or order service that is made from the car.
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Even while passing through the drive-thru, the woman continued to send distressed messages to employees, gesturing "help" through the window to a restaurant worker, police said.
While she was placing the order in the car, the police arrived and the employees quickly pointed to the woman in her car with the man in the passenger seat.
Police found a stolen firearm in the trunk of the vehicle and arrested the man, who faces four counts of felony, including criminal threats, stolen property and illegal possession of a firearm. A bail of $ 360,000 was established.
Chose the right McDonald's
The woman chose the right place to ask for help.
The Golden State Restaurant Group, which owns the McDonald's location to which it went, has certified each of its restaurants as a (Safe Place) “Safe Place”.
The Safe Place program is a national prevention and youth program for “young people who need immediate help and safety,” says the restaurant group's website.
The program creates a network of locations, including schools, fire stations, libraries and businesses, that show distinctive signs of safe places in yellow and black. Young people can go to places with these signs in times of crisis to find a safe place to stay and connect with a youth services agency or shelter, says the program's website.
There are more than 20,000 Safe Place sites in the United States.
People who need a safe place can check their interactive map or send a text message with the word “Safe” along with their location (city, state or zip code) to 4HELP (44357). They will receive a response with the nearest safe place and the number of their local youth agency.
"We are proud of our team for doing their part in being A SAFE PLACE!" Said Golden State McDonald's in a Facebook post.
“Thank you to our team for handling this properly, and to the officials of the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office who are constantly serving and protecting our community! We are proud to support both A Safe Place and all our law enforcement officers! Thank you, thank you for all the support of the community and please always be safe and aware! ”
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