On Christmas Eve at Flag City McDonald’s in Lodi, California, quick-thinking employees played a crucial role in a life-saving incident. A woman and a man entered the restaurant, but it was clear the woman needed help urgently. She approached the counter, whispering to an employee to call 911 and providing the vehicle’s license plate number.

The staff took action, asking her to use the restroom for safety. When she returned and tried to approach the counter again, the man with her, Eduardo Valenzuela, directed her to use the drive-thru. The employee had already called the police, and the store manager slowed down the drive-thru to allow time for law enforcement to arrive.

At the drive-thru window, the woman silently mouthed “help me” to an employee. Police arrived just in time and ordered the car to pull over. The woman explained that Valenzuela had been violent and threatened her with a gun, forcing her to drive him to visit his family.