Mother says pill was found in fast food fries order handed to stepson

Police are investigating a report of a pill found in an order of fries from a Middletown restaurant.

Melinda Mays said she went through the drive-thru window at Wendy’s on Towne Boulevard on Friday about 10:50 a.m. and purchased a order of fries.

Mays said she handed two of the fries to her 2-year-old stepson, who ate them while sitting in the back seat. She later found a small clear capsule in the fries containing a tan powdered substance, according to the police report.

After taking the capsule back to the restaurant, Mays contacted police and made a report.

“It was a real shock,” Mays said. She kept a eye on her stepson, and he showed no signs of illness.

Mays said she filled out several forms at the restaurant and received a call from the corporate office stating they were cooperating with the investigation.

Middetown Police Maj. Scott Reeve said Monday that detectives believe the pill was an herbal supplement that was in a gelatin capsule.

“We are skeptical it actually was placed in the fries at the restaurant, because the hot food would have melted or deformed the pill. It wasn’t misshapen,” Reeve said.

Officers spoke with both employees of the restaurant who scooped up the fries and placed them in the box and who were operating the drive-thru window, and neither remembered seeing the capsule.

Mays said when she first looked at the pill, she thought it was a burnt fry, so it could have easily not been seen by workers.

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