Inset: Amanda Hendricks. Background: The Arby's in Oklahoma where Amanda Hendricks worked as a manager and allegedly spit in a customer's food, giving her herpes (KJRH/YouTube).
An Arby's manager in Oklahoma who was "mad" at a mother for showing up at the fast food spot right as it was "about to close" decided to spit in the woman's roast beef sandwich — giving her herpes, according to police and the victim.
"I love Arby's — not anymore," Jennica Church tells local NBC affiliate KJRH.
Church, a married mother and bartender from McCurtain County, was allegedly targeted by manager Amanda Hendricks at an Arby's in Broken Bow after she got off work. Church says she ordered a meal of four roast beef sandwiches for $10.
Hendricks was caught on video spitting into sandwiches and giving the food to Church at the drive-thru, according to police.
"It was taking a little bit of time," Church recounts about how long it took to get her food. "I thought they were mad at me because it was about to close."
According to Church, she and Hendricks knew each other because Broken Bow is a small town. But they didn't have any bad blood between them that Church knew of, KJRH reports.
Church said that after eating her food, she experienced a flare-up on her lip and later visited a doctor who diagnosed her with herpes. Word then got around that Hendricks allegedly told people she spit in Church's sandwiches that night, according to Church, so she contacted police.
Investigators obtained camera footage from the Arby's and saw Hendricks spitting in Church's food. She was arrested and charged with felony poisoning with intent to injure.
"Amanda is removing meat from the slicer," an arrest affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun says. "Amanda has the meat in her hands and lifts it to neck level and leans her head down and you can see the saliva leave her mouth and go into the sandwich. Amanda continues making the other three [sandwiches] and sending out the order."
Church's mother-in-law, Patricia Dollarhite, tells KJRH that Church's entire family has been affected by what happened. Church's father-in-law and grandmother-in-law reportedly ate some of the sandwiches that Church got from Arby's.
"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 said. "I see what it's doing to my grandchildren, my son, my husband. I don't want to kiss my husband. He ate the food! Because he hasn't had an outbreak, doesn't mean he doesn't have it."
Church's family has hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit against Hendricks, Arby's and their affiliated restaurant groups, according to KJRH. Church says the incident has left her suffering from extreme anxiety, emotional distress and fear of infection. She fears it will also affect her work as a bartender.
"If I go out to eat and see someone with a big thing on their face, I don't want them serving me food," she said.
Arby's has not responded to requests for comment.