A teenager has tragically lost their life following an accident at a burrito factory, according to reports.
The incident occurred on 13 July 2025 at a Vernon, California, Tina’s Burritos facility where a 19-year-old sanitation worker was sucked into a meat grinder during their after-hours shift. Tina’s Burritos is a popular frozen food brand that specialises in single-serve frozen burritos.
Per Vernon Police Department’s (VPD) Daniel Onopa speaking with ABC 6, the teenager was cleaning the machine when it activated unexpectedly and sucked them in at around 9:30pm.
The teenager reportedly shouted for help and other workers attempted to save them by turning the machine off, but they were tragically too late. Authorities were promptly called, and upon arrival they found the teenager dead inside the machine.
While the incident is still under investigation, the VPD has said there are no indications of foul play. The California Division of Occupational Safety Health is conducting the investigation along the District Attorney’s Office, with a key question being how the machine activated during the cleaning process.
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and coworkers affected by this tragedy,” a representative of the City of Vernon was quoted as saying.
The teenager has not yet been publicly identified.
A statement from Tina's Burritos said: "We are heartbroken to confirm that a Sanitation worker lost his life on Sunday night, July 13, 2025, while performing sanitation duties at our Vernon facility. He was cleaning an empty kettle that was being sanitized and prepped for the next day’s production run.
"Despite the immediate response of coworkers and emergency personnel, he tragically passed away at the scene."
The company said its 'hearts are with his family, friends, and all who knew and worked alongside him', adding: "This is a devastating loss for everyone at Tina’s. We are cooperating fully with local authorities and Cal/OSHA in the ongoing investigation, and our focus remains on honoring his life, supporting those who are grieving, and maintaining the highest safety standards in our facility."
The tragic event follows soon after reports of another workplace fatality that occurred at a smokehouse in Edmonton, Canada. A worker, Samir Subedi, died after he became locked inside a smokehouse at a Sofina Foods Inc facility. Subedi was killed by the extreme heat inside, and the company could face a CA$330,000 (£179,000) penalty after admitting it had failed to ensure employee safety at the site.
Sofina’s defence barrister said: "These types of offences are — certainly, it goes without saying — tragically impactful to the family and their communities, all the workers in an organization. They do deeply affect everyone who has any involvement in the incident."
Another workplace tragedy took place in Missouri in June 2025, with a worker having become trapped inside an industrial oven at a cereal factory. Nicolas Lopez Gomez, 38, was working at the Glister Marylee Cereal Plant when he was caught in the oven, and he was sadly pronounced dead 20 minutes after first responders arrived.
FOODBible has contacted Camino Real Kitchens, the parent company behind Tina’s Burritos, for comment.
Featured Image Credit: halbergman/Getty ImagesTopics: US Food
Rachael Davis