An Oklahoma woman who once managed an Arby’s restaurant is facing a felony poisoning charge after authorities accused her of contaminating a customer’s food with her saliva—an incident that later sparked allegations of herpes transmission and a growing civil lawsuit.
According to court records and a police affidavit obtained by The New York Post, former Arby’s manager Amanda Hendricks was arrested after investigators reviewed surveillance footage from a March 28 drive-thru order at an Arby’s location in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Police allege the footage shows Hendricks preparing a sandwich before lowering her head toward the food and allowing saliva to fall onto it.
The customer who received the meal, local bartender Jennica Church, later claimed she developed symptoms and tested positive for HSV-1, the virus most commonly associated with oral herpes.
Church said she stopped at the restaurant after finishing a bartending shift and noticed her order was taking longer than expected. “It was taking a little bit of time,” she recalled. “I thought they were mad at me because it was about to close.”
What initially appeared to be a routine late-night fast-food stop has since turned into both a criminal case and a lawsuit involving Church, members of her family, Hendricks, Arby’s, and affiliated restaurant entities.
The investigation reportedly began after another Arby’s employee alerted authorities, claiming a worker had intentionally spit into a customer’s food. After obtaining a warrant, detectives reviewed restaurant surveillance footage and later interviewed Hendricks. Authorities ultimately sought a felony poisoning charge with intent to injure.
For Church’s family, the allegations carried consequences beyond the diagnosis itself. Patricia Dollarhite, the Church’s mother-in-law, described the emotional toll the situation allegedly took on relatives who feared they might have been exposed.
“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,” she said. “I see what it’s doing to my grandchildren, my son, my husband.”
HSV-1 is one of the most common viral infections worldwide and is most often transmitted through infected saliva. Health experts say transmission can occur through kissing, oral contact, shared utensils, cups, or other items that come into contact with saliva.
The virus can also spread through asymptomatic shedding, meaning an infected person may transmit it even when no visible cold sores are present. While antiviral medications can reduce outbreaks and lower the risk of transmission, there is currently no cure or approved vaccine for herpes.
