Hot Grease Conviction Lands Woman in Prison, Previously Served Five State Prison Terms

ALACHUA ‒ An Alachua woman is going to prison after throwing hot grease on a co-worker while working at Popeyes Restaurant in Alachua.

Alachua city police officers arrested 46-year-old Betty Terry in June after she used a frying utensil to fling hot grease at a fellow employee with whom she was arguing.

During their verbal argument, Terry said she was going to throw hot grease on the victim, another female employee. The store manager said he had attempted to stop her, but he backed away in fear of having hot grease thrown on him.

Terry then grabbed a tool from the fryer that had hot grease on it and she threw the grease at the victim. Witnesses said that Terry threw grease at the victim approximately three times. The regional manager told police that the grease is set at 330 degrees and burned the victim.

The victim had burn marks on her left side and left arm and there was damage to the business that had to be cleaned up, along with losses from having to close the business early. Terry reportedly fled before police arrived, but she was located on June 14.

Terry was charged with aggravated battery and sentenced to three years in prison and four more years of supervised probation.

Terry was previously arrested on Sept. 5, 2021, after allegedly threatening her nephew with a knife. The charges were later dropped on the same day her lawyer filed a motion requesting a reduction in her bond. She has served five state prison terms and was most recently released in 2019 after serving a seven-year sentence on a conviction for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

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