A Bay Area man pleaded no contest Monday in a San Mateo County court to a charge of felony assault after he was accused of strangling a shop worker last year.
Rimmer Cortezgarcia Jr., a 31-year-old DoorDash delivery worker, was at Friends Liquor in South San Francisco picking up an order last March, reported KRON and the Daily Journal. An employee at the liquor shop told Cortezgarcia to cover his nose with his mask, as only his mouth was covered, or else the order would be canceled, KRON reported. Prosecutors said he was “angered” by the demand and began strangling the worker.
The store clerk was able to flee and call 911 at the back of the store, KPIX reported.
The Daily Journal reported at the time that Cortezgarcia initially pleaded not guilty when the charges were first filed in March. But in filing this no contest plea, Cortezgarcia will face a reduced sentence and no prison time. As part of the no contest settlement, Cortezgarcia does not admit to guilt in the case. He is expected to serve up to a year in county jail, according to KPIX.
A DoorDash spokesperson told SFGATE that the service has required delivery workers to wear personal protective equipment since April 2020.
“The safety of our community is paramount and this violent, abhorrent behavior has absolutely no place on our platform,” a spokesperson told SFGATE. “We deactivated the Dasher’s account immediately upon learning of this incident last year and remain committed to supporting law enforcement however we can.”
He is scheduled to be sentenced March 7, KRON reports.
The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office and DoorDash did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.