MD Taco Bell Customer Charged After Threatening, Stalking Employee: Police

SILVER SPRING, MD — A Halethorpe man is facing several charges after police say he yelled racially charged threats at a Taco Bell employee in Silver Spring following two visits to the eatery.

Montgomery County Police said in a Monday release that the hate crime case dates back to Aug. 20, when 44-year-old Ryan Barile stopped in at the Taco Bell on the 13800 block of Georgia Avenue.

Moments after receiving his order, Barile became upset for an unspecified reason and started yelling at an employee.

Police said Barile not only yelled racially derogatory statements and threatened to assault the employee, but he also proceeded to threaten a customer who tried to intervene.

Barile returned to the same Taco Bell the following day. While there was no outburst inside the restaurant, he proceeded to make racially charged threats when he called the establishment.

Authorities said in a release that Barile had threatened to shoot the employee, which prompted officials to alert Montgomery County Police.

It wasn't until Oct. 14 that the Halethorpe man was ultimately arrested.

Court records show that Barile is facing four hate crime-related charges, including stalking. He remains held without bond.

A preliminary hearing in the Barile case is scheduled for Nov. 20, with a trial expected to get underway four days later.