A McDonald's employee who filmed herself shoving fries into her mouth before serving them to her ex-girlfriend has been fired and charged, police confirmed on Monday.
Incident Details
Kaylie Santos, 22, was seen in a viral video putting fries into her mouth while saying, 'You want French fries today, right?' The video, taken at a McDonald's in Southbridge, Massachusetts, led to an investigation after it surfaced on social media.
Police tracked down Santos's ex-girlfriend using her license plate. The woman told officers that she and Santos had dated but broke up years ago, and Santos had been harassing her and her new partner.
Contaminated Food
On the night of the incident, the ex-girlfriend said she only ordered two drinks but was also handed a bag of fries. She ate them without suspicion. Court documents state that Santos 'failed to adhere to the safe handling and cleanliness of the food provided to all customers.'
Police believe the incident was isolated and no other customers were affected. They noted that Santos 'not only spit in the French fries container before adding fries into it, Santos also placed several French fries in her mouth and then placed those fries in the same container' before serving them.
Legal Consequences
The ex-girlfriend pressed charges, and Santos now faces up to five years in prison if convicted. The franchise operators, the Spadea and Balducci families, fired Santos and stated, 'The actions of these individuals are unacceptable and do not reflect our organization’s food safety standards or values.' They added that they are cooperating with authorities and the health department, which found no public health concerns.
Public Outrage
Local residents expressed disgust. One resident, Jim, told Boston 25 News, 'That's disgusting. Are you kidding me? It's not sanitary. I'm done with this McDonald's at least, and I might be done for quite a while with fast food.' Another local said, 'It's unacceptable,' while a third added, 'That's a problem. That's a safety issue.'
