Southbridge McDonald's manager accused of spitting in fries before giving them to customer

The manager of a McDonald's in Southbridge, Massachusetts is now facing criminal charges in the wake of a viral video that appeared to show her putting French fries in her mouth before they were given to a drive-thru customer.

Kaylie Santos, 22, is facing one count of giving a person food "containing a foreign substance, which was intended or might reasonably be expected, to cause injury," according to a criminal complaint. The charge carries a possible penalty of up to five years in prison.

The video that went viral on Facebook shows a fast food employee stuffing two handfuls of French fries in her mouth and then putting them into a red McDonald's fry container that another employee is holding.

According to the police report, Santos is heard saying "When your girlfriend wants French fries today, right? She wants French fries today, right?" Police said surveillance video from the McDonald's also shows that she spit into the fry carton. 

Investigators tracked down the license plate of the customer who received the "contaminated French fries" on April 8 and discovered that she is Santos' ex-girlfriend. 

"She only ordered two Dr. Pepper soft drinks, but was handed a bag of fries too," the complaint said. "[The customer] stated she didn't think much of it, took the fries and ate them."

The customer told police that Santos "has been harassing her and her new partner," the complaint stated. It's not believed that any other customers were affected.

The Spadea & Balducci Family, which owns and operates the Southbridge McDonald's, said they are working with police and the local health department, which they said found no public health concerns or violations during a visit earlier this month.

"The actions of these individuals are unacceptable and do not reflect our organization's food safety standards or values," they said. "The wellbeing and safety of our Southbridge community remains our top priority, and we are taking swift appropriate actions."

The McDonald's owner was granted a no trespass order against Santos. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Dudley District Court on June 5.

Southbridge is about 60 miles west of Boston.