DONKEY: Wendy’s Employee Arrested After Shooting Homeless Man in Head Over Soda

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club - “DONKEY: Wendy’s Employee Arrested After Shooting Homeless Man in Head Over Soda”

Introduction

In the January 17, 2025 episode of The Breakfast Club, hosted by DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne Tha God, the hosts delve into a troubling incident involving a Wendy’s employee named Malaysia Lee. The episode meticulously examines the circumstances that led to Malaysia’s arrest after she allegedly shot a homeless man over a soda dispute. This summary captures the essence of their discussion, highlighting key points, insights, and the hosts' perspectives on the matter.

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Incident Overview

The episode centers around a distressing event where Malaysia Lee, a 22-year-old Wendy’s employee from Charlotte, North Carolina, was arrested after shooting a homeless man named Alondro Romero Santos. The altercation reportedly began over a cup of soda.

• Background of the Incident:
  • DJ Envy introduces Malaysia Lee’s situation, explaining that Santos entered the restaurant requesting free food. After being served a cup of water, Santos filled it with soda and used it in the restroom. The manager discarded the cup, leading to Santos retrieving another cup from the parking lot to refill it. This act reportedly upset the manager, escalating tensions.

Hosts' Discussion and Analysis

• Mental Health and Emotional Control:

  • DJ Envy emphasizes the importance of emotional regulation, citing Malcom Gladwell-esque insights on human reactions. He references Don Miguel Ruiz's "The Four Agreements," particularly the principle of not taking things personally ([02:18]).

    "Whatever happens around you, don't take it personally. Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves." – DJ Envy ([02:55])

  • He discusses how Malaysia’s reaction—retrieving a concealed firearm and using it—was extreme and highlights the need for internal work to manage emotions effectively.

• Legal Implications and Judgement:

  • DJ Envy breaks down the legal charges against Malaysia Lee:

    • Assault with a Deadly Weapon
    • Intent to Kill
    • Discharge of a Firearm into Occupied Property

  • He critiques Malaysia’s decision-making process, introducing the concept of "jail math," which involves calculating the potential consequences of one’s actions before acting ([08:30]).

    "You have to calculate in your head if you can afford to do what it is you're about to do." – DJ Envy ([08:45])

• Self-Defense vs. Excessive Force:

  • While acknowledging Malaysia’s right to protect herself, DJ Envy argues that her response was disproportionate given the situation.

    "The gun should have been there to protect you from the situation escalating further or maybe even the whole demand while the cops come." – DJ Envy ([07:50])

• Societal Reflections:

  • The hosts reflect on broader societal issues, such as how stressors and inadequate support systems can lead to tragic outcomes. Mid Size Mac adds depth to the conversation by relating the incident to common frustrations faced in the workplace.

    "I don't get paid enough for this." – Mid Size Mac ([09:29])

• Consequences and Lessons Learned:

  • DJ Envy underscores the importance of considering the long-term ramifications of violent actions. He urges listeners to "subtract your emotion from things and ask yourself, is it worth it?" ([08:15]).

    "The answer is no. You are in jail right now simply because a man wanted a free soda and free fast food." – DJ Envy ([08:55])

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Additional Host Interactions

Beyond the main discussion, the episode features brief interactions among the hosts, injecting moments of humor and camaraderie. For instance, DJ Envy teases Charlamagne about an upcoming guest appearance by Dave Chappelle, adding a lighthearted element to the intense primary conversation ([10:26]).

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Conclusion

The episode of The Breakfast Club provides a comprehensive examination of the Malaysia Lee incident, intertwining legal analysis with psychological insights. The hosts advocate for better emotional control and strategic thinking to prevent such unfortunate events. By dissecting the motivations and consequences of Malaysia’s actions, the conversation serves as a cautionary tale about the ramifications of impulsive decisions fueled by unresolved emotions.

Key Takeaways:

• Emotional regulation is crucial in preventing escalations that can lead to violence.
• Understanding and practicing "jail math" can deter individuals from making choices that result in severe legal consequences.
• Societal pressures and personal frustrations, especially in the workplace, can contribute to incidents of extreme behavior.
• Reflecting on actions and their potential outcomes is essential for personal and communal well-being.

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Notable Quotes:

• DJ Envy ([02:55]):

  "Whatever happens around you, don't take it personally. Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves."

• DJ Envy ([07:50]):

  "The gun should have been there to protect you from the situation escalating further or maybe even the whole demand while the cops come."

• Mid Size Mac ([09:29]):

  "I don't get paid enough for this."

• DJ Envy ([08:55]):

  "You are in jail right now simply because a man wanted a free soda and free fast food."

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This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the delicate balance between self-defense and the use of excessive force, urging listeners to contemplate the profound consequences of their actions.

Transcript

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Listen to me. This is Charlamagne Tha God talking. If you're not on prime, you're missing out. Prime's not just fast free delivery, although that is definitely a big perk. It's a collection of excellent services that help you get more out of whatever passions you're into or getting into. Like right now I am really getting into past life regression therapy and there's so many books about it on Prime. So you can order books with prime or even listen to content on Amazon Music. Whether you're binge watching the latest on prime video, listening to music on Amazon Music or getting those last minute gifts dropped at your door with prime, same day free delivery with customers get closer to what they care about. Whatever you're into, it's all on Prime. Visit Amazon.comprime now. Peace to the planet. Charlamagne Tha God here. And I'm here to tell you about a great film that is coming out. It's called One of Them Days. That's right. It's a movie that's about the light of your weekend. From the brilliant mind of the icon living producer Issa Rae and starring the dynamic duo Keke Palmer and sza. Yes, you heard me right. SZA is gonna be on the big screen. She's built for film. It's a hilarious buddy comedy that'll have you laughing, cheering and maybe even tearing up a little. One of Them Days is serving up all the vibe. Grab your girls and get ready to laugh now.

[DJ Envy]

Playing only in theaters.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Rate it all. Get your tickets now.

[Angela Yee]

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[DJ Envy]

Oh, man. Charlamagne, you giving Donkey the day to who now? Without you, buster. Okay. Unless the assistant tells us something else. All right, but Donkey, Today for Friday, January 17th goes to 22 year old Malaysia Lee. Malaysia is from Charlotte, North Carolina. Salute to the 704 dropping the clues bombs for Charlotte, man. One of the reasons. One of the reasons that I have chosen to be a mental health advocate is because I want us as humans to learn how to control our emotions. Easier said than done, I know, but today's Donkey is a prime example of it's not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters. That's why you know, going to do that internal work on yourself matters, okay? Because you can get to that place where you realize you don't have to match energies, baby. And you realize you don't have to take everything personally. Because as Don Miguel Ruiz says in one of my favorite books, the four agreements, whatever happens around you, don't take it personally. Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves. Malaysia could have used that advice. See, she could have used that second agreement because Malaysia was an employee at Wendy's in the 704. And according to store managers, a 31 year old homeless man named Alondro. Al. Is it Alondro? Yeah, Alondro Romero. Santos came in the restaurant requesting free food. Okay? The news report said he was homeless, so clearly he wasn't having the best day. After the manager provided him with a cup of water, Santos allegedly used the cup to fill it up with soda instead. Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, Fanta. I don't know what his soda choice was, but when Santos went to the restroom, the manager threw the cup away. Why? Okay, I don't know. Let the man have his cup if he wants, you know, to get free refills, who cares? In fact, give him some of those hot fries and a cheeseburger and tell him keep it moving. The man was homeless. Now granted, you can't make a habit of that because you will have people coming to the store doing that all the time. But if you see someone in need, at least attempt to help. In this case, you didn't help. In fact, you clearly hurt because when Santos came out the bathroom, he got mad, he got upset because the manager threw the cup away. So he went to the parking lot, found another cup and returned to the store to fill it with soda once again. Now, of course, the manager didn't like that you went outside and found a cup in the Parking lot to fill it back up with soda, by the way, that's nasty. Okay? That is disgusting. All right? That's how. You know, desperate times call for desperate measures. Somebody might have. Have spit flim in that cup, okay, and tossed it before they left the parking lot. Might have been rolling a blunt. You know how it is sometime when you out somewhere and you sitting in the car, roll it up, you know, you got a little cup from the. From a fast food restaurant. You put the blunt guts in that cup, spit in it, you know, toss it. That's why using a cup he found in the parking lot is gross. But according to this article, he's also homeless, so I'm not judging. But Santos got mad at the manager. So then Santos threw the soda at Malaysia, who was sitting in the restaurant with the manager. Now, when I heard this story, I said to myself, I think that's assault. I'm not the highest grade of weed in the dispensary, nor am I a legal expert, but that feels like an assault. It's not a punch, a slap, a push, but it is an attack, okay? There is a reason Sprite rhymes with fight, okay? That is a man throwing a drink on a woman. So I did some research, and by research, I mean I asked Chatgpt, is throwing a drink on a woman considered assault? And Chatgpt said, yes. Throwing a drink on someone, including a woman, is generally considered assault or battery under the law, depending on the jurisdiction. Well, we need to lock up everyone on reality tv, okay? From loving hip hop to real housewives. Round them all up, all right? Yes. Malaysia was assaulted. And Malaysia did what a lot of people do in the Carolinas, north or south, okay, when they get assaulted. She went to her car, okay? She didn't have an honor. She went and got her pistol. Now, I don't know why the dude Santos stood there and waited for her to come back, but I guess he didn't expect this young lady to have a pistol. But she did. And Malaysia came back in the store, chased Alondra outside, and shot at him three times. Hit him once in the head while he was driving. Yes. This homeless man had a car, okay? And Malaysia shot the car up and hit him in the head. And she was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and discharge in a firearm into occupied property. And she is in custody. She's in custody at the Mecklenburg County Jail under a quarter million dollar bond. Now, I tell you folks all the time, you cannot tell someone how to react, okay? I might push you and your response might be to pull out a gun and pop me. Well, guess what? I shouldn't have pushed you. There is cause and effect to everything. But your Uncle Charlotte also tells you that when faced with certain situations, you have to start doing jail math in your head. Okay? You literally have to calculate how much time you could possibly get if you do said crime. You have to calculate in your head if you can afford to do what it is you're about to do. See Malaysia. I'm not mad at you for going to get your pistol. You felt it. I feel like owning a legal firearm in this country and knowing how to use it is a form of self care. But here's my issue. And why you getting the biggest Hee Haw? It's because you didn't do your jail math. Malaysia. You had plenty of time to think about your choice. I understand this man threw sold on you, and I'm glad you were able to go to your car to get your gun. But the gun should have been there to protect you from the situation escalating further or maybe even the whole demand while the cops come. I'm not expecting you to be a vigilante hero in this situation, but I just wanted you to move with a little less emotion, okay? You got to be strategic. I understand you were upset because he threw a drink on you and who knows what else. You know what's going on in his life or even in your life. But you went and got that pistol, he saw you coming, he hauled ass, got this car and you let off shots. I can even understand that to a certain extent because he might have been going to his car to get his weapon, but in this case, according to reports, he was driving off. Let him go. I know hindsight is 2020 and it's easy for me to say because I wasn't in this situation, but let him go. Hell, you could even let one off in the air just to let him know you will bust your gun. But shooting in his car, Three shots, gunshot wound to the head while he's driving off. You should have started doing that jail math in your head, man. Luckily he's not deceased. But now you sitting in the county with a quarter million dollar bail. I'm not counting your Pockets, but you're 22 and work at Wendy's. I doubt you got a quarter million or the 25,000 because most, most bonds are 10%. I doubt you have either. But that's why jail math works. And you have to calculate these scenarios in your head before you make addition subtraction multiplication, division. How long will I be gone if I do this? How much money will it cost me if I do this? Subtract your emotion from things and ask yourself, is it worth it if I do this? The answer is no. You are in jail right now simply because a man wanted a free soda. Let him have it. It is not worth ending up in jail over a free soda and free fast food. I mean, come on. Like, who, who, who would go to jail for a free soda and free fast food? Wow. Oh, Lord. Play his theme music. Okay, guys, ear. Mid sized Mac is here.

[Angela Yee]

Bite size Mac is crazy.

[DJ Envy]

Mid size Mac is here. How are you? How are you, Mid sized Mac?

[Mid Size Mac]

Hungry. But anyway.

[DJ Envy]

What Mac? I know. I knew as soon as I said something about Fuji was going to walk in here. This is.

[Mid Size Mac]

I don't understand how I keep telling you all that. The big backs are biting back. Nothing is worth any of this. And not even just because, like you said, the jail math. Every black person knows we all have the same mantra at work. I don't get paid enough for this.

[Angela Yee]

I agree.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I'm with you.

[Mid Size Mac]

Them fo for foes. I'm with you defending that. I don't get paid enough for this. You want to steal from Home Depot? I don't get paid enough for this. You got to keep. You just got to tell yourself in the back of your mind constantly because that will prevent you from having to do the jail math.

[DJ Envy]

So even if they throw the food on you or the soda on you, you still like, well, I'm the wrong.

[Mid Size Mac]

Person to ask that somebody throw food at me. And like.

[AT&T Commercial Voice]

It'S a game.

[DJ Envy]

What else you got? Please give Malaysia. Please give Malaysia Lee the biggest. He haw. Jesus Christ, man. So he a glizzy catcher. He going open his mouth.

[Mid Size Mac]

I ain't say all that back.

[DJ Envy]

Said somebody throw it at him. What else you got? God damn, I hate this show so much.

[Angela Yee]

Being your foreplay is crazy.

[Mid Size Mac]

That's how you know there ain't no HR here.

[DJ Envy]

They probably like, look, I don't get.

[Mid Size Mac]

Paid enough for this.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right, thank you. Glizzy Catches.

[DJ Envy]

Charlamagne.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you for that. Dog of the day.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, indeed. Now, speaking of Glizzy catches. Oh, my God, I've been waiting for this day. Listen, first of all, one of our favorite guests here on the Breakfast Club is coming back to the Breakfast Club because Dave Chappelle is performing this weekend at Radio Saturday Night Live. And so he'll probably be there with him. And they performed this week at Radio City Music Hall. Now, Lauren, you was at the show, and several other people at the show told me Darnell had a lot of smoke for me on that stage. I wasn't there.

[Angela Yee]

He was mad that you inserted that photo of him sitting between Diddy's legs on that boat.

[DJ Envy]

Okay?

[Angela Yee]

And he talked about it. He made it real funny, too.

[DJ Envy]

He made it real funny, huh?

[Angela Yee]

Oh, it's so funny.

[DJ Envy]

Well, guess what? That's his stage. This radio was mine. All right. I'm looking for revenge. Oh, yes. All right. We gonna talk to him when we come back, so don't move.

[AT&T Commercial Voice]

It's the Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Good morning, the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Listen to me. This is Charlamagne Tha God talking. If you're not on prime, you're missing out. Prime's not just fast free delivery, although that is definitely a big perk. It's a collection of excellent services that help you get more out of whatever passions you're into or getting into. Like right now I am really getting into past life regression therapy. And there's so many books about it on Prime. So you can order books with prime or even listen to content on Amazon Music. Whether you're binge watching the latest on prime video, listening to music on Amazon Music, or getting those last minute gifts dropped at your door with prime, same day free delivery with prime, customers get closer to what they care about. Whatever you're into, it's all on Prime. Visit Amazon.comprime now life is the act of custard reinvention.

[Nissan Commercial Voice]

That's true for you and for cars. Nissan reimagines the all new Kicks around you. The Bose Personal plus sound system with speakers in the headrest keeps you in the groove while The Nissan Safety Shield360 technologies keep you safe. If Nissan reinvented the Kicks, you can reinvent yourself. Drive the all new reimagined Nissan Kicks today available feature Bose is a registered trademark of the Bose Corporation. Nissan Safety Shield technologies can't prevent all collisions or worn in all situations. See Owner's manual for important safety information.

[AT&T Commercial Voice]

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[DJ Envy]

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[AT&T Commercial Voice]

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[DJ Envy]

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