A 22-year-old McDonald’s manager in Southbridge, Massachusetts faces criminal charges after surveillance footage captured her spitting in french fries and placing them in her mouth before serving them to her ex-girlfriend in an apparent act of revenge.

Disturbing Video Captures Food Contamination

Kaylie Santos will receive a summons to Dudley District Court on charges of distributing food with a harmful substance following an incident on April 9. Police investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the Southbridge McDonald’s showing Santos at the drive-thru window taking a french fry carton from the heated machine. The video captured her appearing to spit into the carton and wiping her lips with her right hand while laughing with another employee nearby.

Santos then grabbed her cellphone and recorded herself on video as she placed multiple french fries in her mouth before putting them into the carton destined for a customer. She sealed the contaminated fries in a to-go bag and handed them directly to the victim at the drive-thru window. The customer ate the tainted food without knowledge of the contamination.

Ex-Relationship Motive Confirmed by Investigation

Police determined Santos deliberately targeted her former romantic partner in the food tampering incident. The victim dated Santos for approximately two years until their relationship ended in October 2024. According to the police report, Santos harbored resentment because her ex-girlfriend started dating someone else. Both the victim and the McDonald’s franchise owners confirmed they want to pursue criminal charges against Santos. The manager has been terminated from her position following the investigation.

Franchise Responds with Swift Action

The Spadea and Balducci family, who own and operate the Southbridge McDonald’s franchise, issued a statement condemning the actions captured on video. They emphasized the behavior does not reflect their food safety standards or organizational values. Local health department inspectors visited the restaurant and found no public health concerns or violations affecting other customers. Southbridge police credited the exceptional cooperation from McDonald’s ownership and management for enabling them to complete their investigation efficiently. Authorities confirmed no other customers received contaminated food during the isolated incident targeting Santos’s former partner.