Inset: Jace Hansen booking photo Johnson County jail; Background: YouTube screen grab of Hereford House steakhouse photo from local CBS affiliate KCTV.
A part time steakhouse employee in Kansas has been arrested and charged for felony contamination of food with unspecified “bodily fluids,” according to police and prosecutors.
Jace Christian Hanson, 21, was arrested on April 25 according to court records made available by the Johnson County District Attorney’s office but the official disclosure about his charges was reupped this week as police said they want more members of the public who think they may have been affected to come forward and report any health issues they are experiencing.
Prosecutors have been mum on exactly how Hanson allegedly contaminated the food at the Hereford House steakhouse on Town Center Drive in Leawood.
Nor have they specified the type of bodily fluids that were discovered.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office inmate records show Hanson is still in detention and is being held on $100,000 bail. His next court date is June 6. His attorney did not immediately respond to request for comment on Sunday.
The Kansas City Star reported that the contaminations took place between March 26 and April 25.
There have been at least 130 people who have contacted police so far who said they ate at Hereford House during that time. A spokesperson for the police department could not be reached by Law&Crime on Sunday but a police captain told the Star this week that the symptoms people reported experiencing were akin to food poisoning which can cause upset stomach or other gastrointestinal problems.
Hereford House told the outlet after Hanson was arrested that he had been working at the restaurant for less than a month part time.
“Once authorities arrested the individual on April 25th, we immediately took all measures and steps to thoroughly clean and sanitize the kitchen in accordance with health department guidelines,” a restaurant spokesperson said.
Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said this week that police so far believe only Hanson was involved but that they expect he will face additional charges in the weeks ahead. Right now, he is tried only with felony criminal threat.
If you or someone you know may have eaten at the Hereford House from March 26 to April 25, police encourage reports be made online at [email protected] or by calling (913) 266-0696.
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