Overview
- Police say the episode began on March 28 when a customer ordered at a Broken Bow, Oklahoma, Arby’s and later reported mouth sores that led to an HSV‑1 test, and another employee then alerted authorities.
- Investigators obtained a warrant to review restaurant surveillance footage that prosecutors describe as showing the manager lowering her head toward sandwich ingredients and saliva falling onto the food.
- A probable‑cause affidavit says the former manager, Amanda Hendricks, allegedly admitted to the act during an interview and was later charged with felony poisoning of food with intent to injure; local records show she has been held in custody.
- The customer, Jennica Church, has filed a civil lawsuit naming Hendricks, the Broken Bow Arby’s and related restaurant groups seeking compensatory and punitive damages while alleging staff offered small settlements and tried to minimize the incident.
- Health and legal experts cited in reporting note HSV‑1 is commonly spread through saliva and is incurable but treatable, yet courts have not established that the alleged spitting caused the plaintiff’s infection so both criminal and civil claims must still prove causation and liability.