Man accused of throwing hot coffee on teen McDonald's worker arrested

CAMDEN, S.C. (KABC) -- Police in South Carolina have arrested the man accused of throwing hot coffee in the face of a teen McDonald's worker -- all because he was upset his fries were taking too long.

Authorities said 29-year-old Joshua Emery Noel, who has ties to Fayetteville, was upset at what he thought was too long of a wait in the drive-thru line.

The McDonald's employee, who is 16, told police the customer became agitated while waiting for an order of large fries. The incident happened on Dec. 21 at a McDonald's in Camden.

Noel's downfall could be blamed on his colorful hair -- several witnesses recognized him and gave police his name after investigators released security video of the incident.

Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Noel on Jan.11, and he turned himself in on Jan. 15.

Noel faces second-degree assault and battery charges. If convicted, Noel faces up to three years in prison.

WTVD-TV and the Associated Press contributed to this report.