A man allegedly punched a barista at a Lancaster coffee shop, breaking his jaw, deputies said Friday.
The LA County Sheriff's Department Lancaster Station released images of the two men Friday after the early June incident.
Deputies said the pair walked into the Starbucks in the 1800 block of West Avenue I on June 4.
The man allegedly tried to steal the tip jar, Starbucks said in correspondence, refuting comments by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lancaster Station that the dispute was over face masks.
The man, now wanted for battery, was described as 6-feet 2-inches tall, and about 230 pounds.
The man's accomplice was described as 6-feet 6-inches tall, and weighing 245 pounds. Deputies said he was a witness, and they would like to question him.
Deputies said there was no surveillance footage of the attack.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
“Our focus right now is on our partner and their recovery. We want to thank the LASD Lancaster Station for supporting the safety of our partners and the community, and we will continue to aid their investigation in any way we can," Starbucks said in a statement.
Anyone who recognizes the men is asked to contact Detective Grajales at (661) 948-8466.
Editor's Note: In an earlier version of this story, the sheriff's department said the reason for the dispute was over the customers not wearing face masks. Starbucks contradicted that account, saying the attack was actually over an attempted tip jar theft.
