Three Wendy’s Employees Charged After Allegedly Spitting in Food in Union County Restaurant

Three Wendy’s Employees Charged After Allegedly Spitting in Customer’s Food at Union County Restaurant

By James Seidel | CC News Network

UNION, S.C. — Three employees of a Wendy’s restaurant in Union County have been charged after authorities say they tampered with a customer’s food, including allegations that one worker spit in the meal before it was returned to the customer.

According to the Union Public Safety Department, 23-year-old Aaliyah Shuntai Sanders, 19-year-old Trinity Lashell Rice, and 33-year-old Shadela Crystal Holley have each been charged with tampering with a human drug product or food item, a criminal offense under South Carolina law.

The charges stem from an incident that allegedly occurred on May 31 at the Wendy’s restaurant located on North Duncan Bypass.

Police reports indicate a customer initially ordered food through the drive-thru but returned to the restaurant after discovering a problem with her order. The customer requested a refund and returned the food to employees. She also asked for a receipt, telling staff she had not received one with her original purchase.

According to investigators, employees informed the customer they would remake the order. She was then given food and left the restaurant.

While driving away and eating the replacement meal, the customer received a phone call from someone at the restaurant who reportedly warned her that an employee had spit in the food and then retrieved the contaminated item from a trash can.

The customer later told police she discovered the food she had been given was not a newly prepared order but instead appeared to be the same food she had previously returned to the restaurant.

Investigators said the customer contacted the store and spoke with management regarding the allegations. According to the incident report, a manager told her he had spoken with employees and confirmed the incident had occurred. The manager also stated that surveillance video from the restaurant would be reviewed.

Both the restaurant manager and general manager reportedly told the customer that Sanders, Rice and Holley were disciplined following the incident.

Arrest records show Rice was taken into custody on June 16 and later received a $2,000 surety bond. Sanders was arrested on June 17, while Holley was arrested on June 22.

Court records did not immediately indicate whether the three defendants had obtained legal representation.

The case remains under investigation.

Community Outrage Amid Other Unresolved Cases

The Wendy’s case comes at a time when residents in Union County have increasingly voiced concerns about accountability and unresolved investigations throughout the community.

Among the most prominent cases is that of Jana Leigh Stines Manasco, who disappeared from the Monarch area of Union County on Aug. 19, 2023. Nearly three years later, she remains missing, with no confirmed sightings and no public resolution to the case. Authorities continue to seek information regarding her disappearance.

Family members and community advocates have repeatedly organized vigils and awareness campaigns in an effort to keep attention focused on Stines’ disappearance. Her case has become one of several unsolved matters that local residents say should remain a priority for law enforcement and the community.

While the allegations involving the Wendy’s employees are unrelated to the missing persons investigation, the case has generated significant public reaction across Union County, where residents have increasingly used social media to call for transparency and accountability in both criminal investigations and consumer-related incidents.

The three food-tampering defendants remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

About the Author

James Seidel

Administrator

About the CC News Network James Seidel: Publisher, Award Winning Journalist, Author. Investigator, Podcaster, Talk Show Host, and Music Producer. The CC News Network is a distinguished media company in the world of South Carolina News, Weather, Sports and True Crime. At the beginning, James Seidel was only known as Crime and Cask and well known for his relentless pursuit of truth and justice in the Alex Murdaugh trial. As a journalist, author, investigator, radio talk show host, and record producer he has made significant contributions to uncovering some of the most complex and high-profile criminal cases of our time.

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