A Taco Bell Customer Was Hospitalized After Finding Rat Poisoning In To-Go Burrito
You'd never expect a trip to your favorite fast food restaurant to end in hospitalization, but the people it's actually happened to likely didn't either. In September 2022, Megan Tomlinson, of Pennsylvania, felt a sharp pain in her mouth followed by bleeding after biting into one of Burger King's chicken fries (via Fox News). Later, Tomlinson began to throw up blood, ultimately leading to her decision to seek medical care. After running tests, it was determined that metal pieces of a utility blade had found their way into her GI tract. Four days later, she was released from the hospital with a hefty $30,000 bill.
In 2020, a man was hospitalized after testing his child's beverage (per KSL TV). What was intended to be a McDonald's chocolate milk was actually a foul-smelling, rotten-tasting clear liquid that left Seadur Kopczuk with a burning sensation in his stomach. A family tradition, Kopczuk often takes a swig of his son's beverage as part of a hilarious "dad tax" rule. "It's not often I take a dad tax on chocolate milk," he said. "I'm thankful that I did." In a recent case of the supposed dangers of fast food, a customer was recently hospitalized after dining at a Taco Bell.
An investigation could result in attempted homicide charges
A Taco Bell in Denver, Colorado is under investigation after a customer was hospitalized due to rat poison discovered in his burrito (per CBS News). On Sunday, January 15, the customer came into the store to voice his concerns regarding the drink machine. According to store manager Lary Swift, the situation became heated as the man asked for free items and threw a taco at an employee, until he eventually received a fourth burrito at no cost. After eating the food, the man fell sick and was rushed to the hospital due to ingestion of rat poison, according to CBS News. Per Sheriff Deputy John Bartmann, the addition of rat poison into the customers' food would be considered "criminal attempt homicide." The investigation is currently ongoing.
Swift has denied allegations that her staff had poisoned the man. "We don't carry poison in the restaurant. We didn't do anything like that. It didn't even add up. It's ridiculous."
Very Well Health says that consuming rat poison can cause many health issues, the most serious being death. It can also cause organ failure, external bleeding, coma, and paralysis. Less serious complications include headache, dehydration, and exhaustion.