New findings in the investigation of the tragic death of Nguyet Le, a 63-year-old Arby’s manager in New Iberia, have come to light.
The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages. Attorney Paul Skrabanek, representing the family, recently inspected the Arby’s restaurant and made disturbing revelations that he shared with KLFY News 10.
During the inspection, Skrabanek locked himself in the restaurant’s freezer to experience what Le might have endured in her final moments. The thermometer inside the freezer indicated temperatures ranging from negative 20 to 30 degrees. Skrabanek described the chilling experience, stating that within seconds, the cold pierced through his clothes, making them stiff and brittle. He believes Le remained trapped in the freezer for a period of four to five hours before being discovered.
However, Skrabanek’s most significant findings were related to the freezer itself. He discovered that the broken latch, which allegedly caused Le’s death, had already been replaced by the management. Surprisingly, the new latch malfunctioned when Skrabanek tested it. Additionally, Skrabanek found that the lever connected to the emergency system, designed to alert authorities in case of entrapment, was not functioning. According to him, the restaurant only needed to activate the phone lines to power the system, a simple yet crucial step that was neglected.
Further puzzling details emerged during the inspection. The entire kitchen equipment, including the stove and fryer, had been inexplicably removed, leaving behind an empty space. Skrabanek expressed confusion over this strange occurrence.
When questioned about why these issues were not addressed earlier, Skrabanek attributed it to the management culture within Turbo Restaurants LLC, the company that owns and operates Arby’s restaurants. He cited text messages exchanged between two former Arby’s general managers and the regional manager responsible for Louisiana’s Arby’s locations. Complaints regarding the freezer and a previous robbery were allegedly ignored, with no response from the regional manager.
Skrabanek believes that bringing this case to a jury will result in outrage over the revealed facts. He hopes that the message sent through the legal proceedings will resonate across the nation and prompt franchise owners to take notice and improve safety measures.
To read the full details and additional information on this investigation, visit KLFY News 10.
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