A McDonald's restaurant in Indio, California, was the scene of a violent confrontation between an employee and a customer.

It happened on Sept. 13, when the middle-aged employee confronted the young customer for allegedly filling his free water cup with soda, which he should have paid for, reports the Daily Mail.

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

The employee, obviously unhappy about the customer's attempt to get free soda, got in the customer's face and said: "Why don't you get out of here."

In reaction, the customer told the employee to "get out of my f**king face."

Instead of getting out of his face, the employee grabbed the customer by the neck.

A struggle ensued, culminating when the customer threw the employee down on a booth bench, and then punched him hard in the face.

Other customers began screaming, "Call the police!"

The employee managed to get up and walk away, bleeding from the face, as the customer followed after him, yelling profanities.

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

The identities of the two brawlers were not known, and it is unclear if any arrests were made.

It was not the first time that trouble has ensued following a customer's attempt to steal a cup of soda from a McDonald's restaurant.

In 2016, an Arkansas man was facing felony charges after allegedly filling his free water cup with soda at a local McDonald's, as reported by Newser.

On that occasion, 19-year-old Cody Morris and two accomplices ordered three waters at the drive-thru window, and then allegedly emptied the cups and went inside, where they filled the cups with soda.

When the group attempted to leave, the manager stood behind Morris' car, thinking it would prevent them from driving out of the parking lot.

But Morris allegedly put the car in reverse and ran into the manager, who then attempted to grab the keys from the ignition, only to be hit by the car again.

He may not have been seriously injured, because he called the police and Morris was later arrested on suspicion of felony robbery.

Four years earlier, in 2012, a Florida man was busted for using a water cup to steal some soda at a McDonalds in Naples, reported the Los Angeles Times.

On that occasion, 52-year-old Mark Abaire, was arrested on a felony theft charge.

Authorities say Abaire asked for a cup for water, but was caught filling it with soda.

The manager demanded that Abaire pay for the soda, but he apparently refused, then reportedly cursed at the manager and would not leave the premises when asked to do so.

Because Abaire had a history of petty crime, the charges were increased from from a misdemeanor to a felony, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years along with a $5,000 fine.

Sources: Daily Mail, Newser via USA Today, Los Angeles Times / Featured Image: Pixabay / Embedded Images: LiveLeak via Daily Mail