'I blacked out': Subway worker says customer punched her in mouth

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police are trying to track down a man after a local college student said she was attacked while working at a Subway in University City.

Haven Neal told Channel 9 that she was taken to a hospital for stitches after a customer punched her in the mouth at the restaurant on University City Boulevard.

Neal, who is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, said it started like any other transaction.

[CMPD: Man accused of attacking woman inside home may be connected to break-ins]

“I made the sandwich. Everything was fine, no problems, and then we got to the end,” she said.

Neal said the customer handed her cash to pay for his sandwich and she screened it to verify it was real -- a standard practice for larger bills.

“And when I scanned it, he got upset I thought his money was fake," she said. “I just proceeded to hand him his change. He threw it on the counter, asked me to pick it up and hand it back to him.”

Neal said the man then spat on the counter and when she tried to sanitize it, he came back and punched her, knocking her out.

“I blacked out for a few seconds. I don’t remember falling at all,” she said.

Neal told us the impact from his punch cracked her tooth, damaging several nerves. She also suffered a chest contusion from when she fell over.

Neal said she tried to go back to work the day after the attack, but she had to leave early from all the pain.

She said she hopes to go back to work by the end of the week.

[ALSO READ: Police arrest man who allegedly attacked 80-year-old woman, stole purse]

“I don’t think he'll return, so that's not what I'm worried about,” said Neal. “I'm feeling better today.”

Neal said the man ran out of the store after the attack and police still haven't found him.

Detectives are working to get surveillance video.

Cox Media Group