Former Smoothie King employee Keshia Lynette Christmas was charged with aggravated kidnapping, robbery, and retaliation or obstruction, for allegedly taking her manager hostage, threatening to throw her into traffic, and stealing from both her and the store after she was fired by the manager, Houston Police said in court documents.
“The Complainant stated she had several issues with the Defendant, not showing up for work and coming into work late,” authorities wrote in a Dec. 22 complaint. “The Complainant stated after several write-ups she decided to terminate the Defendant’s employment on Monday December 12, 2022.”
A week after her charge, the 34-year-old suspect is still at large, authorities said. Prosecutors moved to revoke her bond in an unrelated criminal case on Tuesday, Law and Crime reported.
According to the police affidavit, “the manager said Christmas did not pick up the phone, so she left a message. That was Dec. 12. The next day, the manager briefly left the restaurant for another Smoothie King to get a cord for a faulty resister. Meanwhile, Christmas arrived at their location with her 15-year-old daughter to pick up the check, officers said. The employee working the counter told her she was fired. Christmas allegedly got mad, started yelling, went behind the counter, and went into the register”
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When the manager returned, Christmas demanded her final paycheck. The manager got it, police said.
“The Complainant stated suddenly the Defendant grabbed her by her neck and slammed her against the wall three times,” police wrote. “The Complainant stated the Defendant slapped her in the face several times, which caused her pain. The Complainant stated the Defendant was choking her to the point where she could not breathe and started gasping for air.”
Christmas allegedly forced the manager to walk across Richmond Avenue towards a Wells Fargo bank.
“The Complainant stated the Defendant told her if she tried to run, she would throw her into oncoming traffic,” police wrote. Officers described Christmas as being an inch taller and 84 pounds heavier than the victim.
While holding the manager’s phone, Christmas demanded the manager withdraw $200, and the manager, afraid for her life, complied, according to the affidavit. Christmas threw back the phone, and the manager ran back to the Smoothie King and locked herself in the bathroom to call the cops.
The manager said Christmas later texted her, including the victim’s home address.
“Everyone will know you!!!” Christmas allegedly wrote. “See you tomorrow morning.”
Police released a mugshot of Christmas from a previous arrest (above). Records show she was charged in June with assault of a family or household member under a previous conviction.
