The incident happened at the Speedway on North Road Street in Elizabeth City, NC, about a 165-mile drive northeast from downtown Raleigh, police say.
Street View image from May 2026. © 2026 Google
A convenience store employee suffered burns to her upper body when an upset customer doused her with scalding coffee, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.
It happened around 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Speedway on North Road Street in Elizabeth City, about a 165-mile drive northeast from downtown Raleigh.
“The investigation determined that an employee was assaulted when a customer threw a cup of hot coffee on her during a dispute at the checkout counter,” Elizabeth City police said in an Aug. 6 news release.
“The victim was transported to Sentara Albemarle Medical Center for treatment of burns to her arm and chest. The injuries were consisted with exposure to hot liquid.”
Details of the employee’s condition have not been released.
An investigation identified 55-year-old Chandra Bianca Lamb of Elizabeth City as a suspect, police said. She was arrested and has been charged with assault inflicting injury, officials said. Her bond was set at $1,000.
The charge is a Class 2 misdemeanor that carries the potential for 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, experts say.
