A KFC rifle threat over a delayed drive-through order left an employee facing a firearm and a customer facing a felony charge. Lexington police accused 33-year-old Nayda Roman of pointing an AR-15-style rifle at a worker at the Richmond Road restaurant after becoming angry about her wait.
No shots were fired, according to the arrest citation. That spared everyone from physical injury, but it hardly makes the encounter a routine customer-service complaint.
What allegedly happened at the Lexington KFC?
The case stems from an incident reported in May. According to WKYT, Roman exchanged words with an employee because she believed her order was taking too long.
Police said she then retrieved an AR-15-style rifle from the trunk of her vehicle, came back around and pointed it at the employee in what the citation described as a “threatening manner.” She allegedly drove away afterward.
Roman was arrested on July 27 and charged with first-degree wanton endangerment. WKYT reported the arrest the following day.
The available reporting refers to the weapon as an AR-15-style rifle, rather than confirming that it was an AR-15. It also does not establish the firearm characteristics that can be implied by the politically charged term “assault rifle.” The distinction may sound technical, but criminal cases tend to benefit from technical accuracy.
How police identified Nayda Roman
Investigators did not immediately make an arrest after the confrontation. Instead, police reportedly used several pieces of visual evidence to identify a suspect.
WKYT said officers:
- Traced Roman’s vehicle using KFC security footage
- Compared the person seen in that footage with police body-camera video from earlier traffic stops
- Presented a photo lineup to the employee, who identified Roman
That investigative trail helped connect the vehicle, the suspect and the worker’s account before Roman’s arrest roughly two months after the reported incident.
No public statement from Roman, an attorney representing her, the employee, KFC or the Lexington Police Department was found. The accusation therefore remains based on the arrest citation and has not been tested through a publicly reported trial or plea.
As of August 3, 2026, no later court appearance, indictment, plea or case outcome had been publicly reported. Roman is accused, not convicted.
What does the felony charge carry in Kentucky?
Kentucky law defines first-degree wanton endangerment as conduct that creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury while showing extreme indifference to human life.
Because authorities did not allege that Roman fired the weapon, the charge is a Class D felony. Kentucky law elevates the offense to a Class C felony when a firearm is discharged.
A Class D felony can carry:
- One to five years in prison
- A felony fine generally ranging from $1,000 to $10,000
Kentucky law provides an exception to felony fines for defendants found to be indigent. Any sentence would depend on a conviction and the court’s findings, neither of which has been reported in Roman’s case.
Fast-food workers facing armed customers
The Lexington allegation was not the only reported case involving a customer, a food delay and a gun. In a separate incident in Maryland in late June, 30-year-old Ashley Andrews was arrested after allegedly displaying a handgun to Taco Bell employees because her order was taking too long.
Andrews was banned from the restaurant and required to post a $5,000 bond.
The circumstances and charges in the two cases were separate, but both placed workers in danger over delays they may not have controlled. For employees already managing queues, orders and frustrated customers, the emotional stakes can shift from unpleasant to terrifying in seconds.
