UMVA has learned that a disturbing incident at an Arby's location in Oklahoma has led to a former manager being charged with felony poisoning after allegedly spitting in a customer's food, resulting in the customer contracting herpes.
The customer, Jennica Church, claims she had a history with the restaurant manager, Amanda Hendricks, but nothing major. Church says she stopped at the Arby's after a long bartending shift and her order took a little time to make, leading her to believe the staff might have been mad at her.
Church took the food home and shared it with her father-in-law and grandmother-in-law. After eating, she said her mouth flared up, and a visit to the doctor revealed she had developed herpes. The incident has left Church with extreme anxiety, emotional distress, and fear of infection.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Hendricks allegedly bragged about spitting in Church's sandwiches, which her daughter overheard. Police obtained security camera footage from the Arby's that showed Hendricks spitting in the food, leading to her charge with felony poisoning with intent to injure.
A warrant has been issued for Hendricks' arrest. The Church family is suing Hendricks, Arby's, and affiliated restaurant groups, claiming the incident caused them emotional distress and fear of infection. Church's lawyer says he's floored by Hendricks' behavior and questions whether it's a culture issue deeper than just the local Arby's.
The incident has raised concerns about food safety and employee conduct. Church's experience has left her with a lasting fear of being served food by someone with an infection, saying "If I go out to eat and see someone with a big thing on their face, I don't want them serving me food."
