A former Arby’s manager in Oklahoma has been charged with felony poisoning after a customer alleged she contracted herpes from food that police say was contaminated when the employee spit into it.
Amanda Hendricks, who previously managed the Arby’s location in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, is accused of tampering with an order placed by customer Jennica Church during a late-night visit on March 28, according to court documents and a police affidavit.
“I love Arby’s — not anymore,” Church told Scripps News Group.
Church has since filed a lawsuit against Arby’s, claiming she contracted HSV-1, the virus commonly associated with oral herpes, after eating the allegedly contaminated food.
Authorities began investigating after an Arby’s employee reported that a co-worker had spit into a customer’s meal, the affidavit states.
Investigators later secured a search warrant for the restaurant’s surveillance video and reviewed footage from the night Church placed her order.
“It was taking a little bit of time,” Church recalled. “I thought they were mad at me because it was about to close.”
According to the affidavit, the video appears to show Hendricks handling sandwich meat before lowering her head toward the food. Police wrote that saliva could be seen falling onto the sandwich.
Church said she had stopped at the restaurant after finishing a bartending shift and purchased a meal through the drive-thru.
After reviewing the footage, police contacted Hendricks and arranged an interview.
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Authorities subsequently sought a warrant charging her with felony poisoning with intent to injure.
Church’s family says the fallout extended far beyond her diagnosis. The bartender’s mother-in-law, Patricia Dollarhite, said relatives who shared the food became terrified they may have been exposed to the virus, though no additional infections have been reported publicly.
“My son was sitting at my table, eating breakfast and he wanted a kiss, and he could not get one, so you bet I’m angry,” Dollarhite told KJRH.
“I see what it’s doing to my grandchildren, my son, my husband.”
The criminal case sparked a civil lawsuit filed by Church and members of her family against Hendricks, Arby’s and affiliated restaurant entities.
The lawsuit alleges Church later developed symptoms and was diagnosed with HSV-1 following the incident.
Herpes is common and often goes unnoticed. HSV-1 is typically linked to oral herpes, while HSV-2 is more often associated with genital herpes — but either type can infect the mouth or genitals.
The virus spreads mainly through direct contact with sores, saliva or skin around the mouth or genitals. It can also spread when a person has no visible symptoms, which makes tracing the source of an infection difficult.
There is no cure for herpes and no licensed HSV vaccine.
Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir can shorten outbreaks, reduce recurrences and lower transmission risk, but they do not eliminate the virus from the body.
Whether the alleged contamination caused that diagnosis remains unresolved.
The Post has sought comment from local police, Church and Hendricks.
