Three Wendy’s employees in South Carolina arrested after allegedly pulling a customer’s food from the trash and spitting on it before serving it

Three women in South Carolina have been arrested after allegedly taking food from a trash can and spitting on it before serving it to a customer at a Wendy’s in Union, according to Fox Carolina. The three employees were identified as 23-year-old Aaliyah Shuntai Sanders, 19-year-old Trinity Lashell Rice, and 33-year-old Shadela Crystal Holley, according to the Union Public Safety Department. 

All three women were reportedly charged with tampering with a human drug product or food item following the incident at the Wendy’s on North Duncan Bypass. The three suspects were said to have been arrested separately over the course of about a week. Police records say Rice was arrested on June 16, Sanders on June 17, and Holley on June 22. A judge reportedly gave Rice a $2,000 surety bond.

The situation began on May 31, when a customer ordered food from the Wendy’s drive-thru but apparently had an issue with her meal and told staff about it. According to incident reports, she asked for a refund after staff took the order back.

The customer had returned the original order 

The customer reportedly told police she also asked for a receipt, since she said she had not been given one when she first placed her order. Staff members then told her they would remake the order, and she was given food back before she left the store. The customer told police she was eating the food she had been given while driving away. Cases involving alleged food tampering by restaurant staff have drawn attention before, including one where an Oklahoma manager allegedly planned to harm a customer. 

Someone from the store later reportedly called the customer and told her that an employee had spat in the food and had removed it from the trash can. The customer apparently received this phone call while she was still driving.

The report states when she checked, the customer found that the food she had been given as a supposedly remade order was actually the food from her previous order. She apparently realized the “new” order was the same food as her initial order. Tensions between diners and restaurant staff have surfaced in other cases too, such as when a New York server reportedly limited a customer’s order.

The victim then called the store and spoke with the manager, who allegedly told her that he had spoken with employees and confirmed the incident. According to the reports, the manager also said he would review surveillance footage of what took place. The general manager and the manager reportedly told the victim that Sanders, Rice, and Holley had been written up over the incident.