Customer Shouts Profanities, Throws Smoothie At Fairfield Worker: Police

FAIRFIELD, CT — A customer at a Fairfield smoothie shop faces several charges — including intimidation based on bigotry — after he threw a drink that struck a worker and shouted profanities at several employees, according to police.

The incident was recorded and posted to TikTok, and had been viewed more than 15 million times in less than 24 hours, but the video and the user’s account appeared to have been removed from the app as of Sunday morning.

Police said they were called about 2:30 p.m. Saturday to Robeks smoothie shop, 2061 Black Rock Turnpike. About an hour earlier, James Iannazzo made a purchase at the store, and about 30 minutes later he called 911 when his son suffered a severe allergic reaction and had to be taken to a hospital due to peanuts in a smoothie, according to police.

Iannazzo returned to Robeks and confronted workers, yelling at them and demanding to know who made the smoothie, police said. When employees could not answer the question, police said, Iannazzo became irate, screaming expletives, referencing one worker’s immigration status and throwing the drink, which left an employee uninjured but covered with smoothie.

“Iannazzo was told to leave multiple times by the employees, but remained inside and continued to yell insults at the employees,” police said in a news release.

Iannazzo also tried to open a locked door to access the “employees only” area, according to police.

“He threw a smoothie at us, he’s threatening us,” a worker could be heard saying in the TikTok video. “We’re calling the cops. He won’t leave. He keeps screaming at us.”

Iannazzo left the scene before police arrived but was quickly identified and turned himself in, telling officers he was upset about his son’s allergic reaction, according to law enforcement.

“During the investigation, employees reported that Iannazzo never told them about the peanut allergy but had only requested that there be no peanut butter in his drink,” police said in the news release.

Iannazzo, 48, of Fairfield, is charged with second-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias, second-degree breach of peace and first-degree criminal trespass, according to police, who said he is set to appear in court Feb. 7.

"Mr. Iannazzo wholeheartedly regrets the incident that took place at the Fairfield Robeks on Jan. 22, 2022," said his attorney, Frank J. Riccio II, in a prepared statement. "When faced with a dire situation for his son, Mr. Iannazzo's parental instinct kicked in and he acted out of anger and fear. He is not a racist individual and deeply regrets his statements and actions during a moment of extreme emotional stress."