Woman Got Herpes After Arby’s Manager Spit in Her Sandwich in Sick Fast-Food Revenge Plot

An Oklahoma woman says a late-night stop at Arby’s turned into a nightmare after a former restaurant manager allegedly spit in her food and infected her with oral herpes, according to an explosive lawsuit.

Jennica Church, 38, claims she pulled into an Arby’s in Broken Bow after a long night of bartending to grab food for herself and her family. But what should have been a quick fast-food run allegedly became a disgusting act of revenge.

According to the lawsuit, former Arby’s manager Amanda Hendricks knew Church personally, and the two reportedly had some kind of “history.” Church, however, insisted it was nothing serious.

Still, Church said she sensed something was off when her order took longer than expected.

“It was taking a little bit of time,” Church told KJRH. “I thought they were mad at me because it was about to close.”

The lawsuit claims the delay had a horrifying reason.

According to court documents, Hendricks allegedly “intentionally and deliberately” spit on the meat or sandwich components while preparing Church’s order. The filing also claims Hendricks knew she had Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, commonly known as oral herpes, at the time.

Church said she ate one sandwich while pulling out of the parking lot, then brought the rest of the food home to share with her husband and mother-in-law, who was receiving hospice care at the family’s home.

Soon after, Church said her mouth began to flare up. The lawsuit claims she developed a lesion or cold sore on her lip, went to a doctor and later tested positive for HSV-1.

The disturbing case allegedly came to light after Hendricks bragged about spitting in the food to other people in the small town, according to the family. Church said her daughter eventually heard about it.

Police later reviewed surveillance footage from the Arby’s, according to the lawsuit. Investigators allegedly saw Hendricks handling sandwich meat while working near a slicer before lowering her head toward the food. Saliva could reportedly be seen falling from her mouth and onto the sandwich.

Hendricks was arrested on a felony charge of poisoning food with intent to injure.

But Church and her family say the damage did not end with the arrest.

Church’s mother-in-law, Patricia Dollarhite, said the alleged contamination has shaken the entire family and changed even the simplest moments at home.

“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!” she added. “Because he hasn’t had an outbreak, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have it.”

The lawsuit also accuses workers at the Arby’s of knowing what happened and trying to cover it up instead of stopping the contaminated food from leaving the restaurant.

Church claims the restaurant offered the family free sandwiches as compensation. Dollarhite said she was offered just five dollars, which the complaint called “the insulting sum of five dollars as compensation for the contamination of food that resulted in a permanent, incurable viral infection.”

The family is now suing for compensatory damages, including medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, and other losses connected to the alleged incident.

Their attorney, Will Blocker, said the blame may go beyond Hendricks.

“They let it go all the way out the door and my client now has a communicable disease,” Blocker said. “That has to be a culture deeper than Arby’s in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Maybe it’s Flynn Restaurant Group and all 300 stores they own. I don’t know, but we are going to find out.”

The lawsuit paints a shocking picture of a fast-food stop gone terribly wrong — one the family says left them with fear, anger and a permanent medical condition they never saw coming.