Hereford House shortens time frame that employee accused of contaminating food worked
Update: Leawood police have heard from 230 Hereford House customers as of 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Anyone who became ill after eating at the restaurant between March 26 and April 25, and have not reached out yet, can submit there information to the city of Leawood here.
The original story continues below:
Hereford House narrowed the number of days the employee accused of contaminating food worked at the Leawood location to 12 days, the restaurant said in a statement released Thursday.
The restaurant based the new time frame on what the worker allegedly told police in an affidavit released Wednesday.
The employee, 21-year-old Jace Christian Hanson of Kansas City, allegedly told police that the first time he contaminated food was about a week and a half after he started working there, according to an affidavit, which describes why someone is charged with a crime.
The alleged tampering would have occurred roughly between April 6 and 23. During that period, Hanson worked at the restaurant for 12 days, the Hereford House said.
Hanson is facing one felony count of unlawfully adulterating or contaminating food at the 5001 Town Center Drive restaurant in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza.
Hanson was arrested on April 25 and booked into Johnson County jail, where he remains on a $100,000 bond. Prosecutors charged Hanson the next day.
The following Tuesday, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office announced that Hanson had been charged and asked customers who fell ill after eating at the restaurant between March 26 and April 25 to contact Leawood police at tips@leawood.org or 913-266-0696.
According to the affidavit, Hanson allegedly posted videos to a website under the username of “Vandalizer” showing a man urinating in restaurant-style food bins, pressing his genitals and buttocks against food and using his feet to touch food items. Hanson estimated he had contaminated food in more than 20 incidents.
Hanson allegedly told police he started contaminating food because he did not enjoy the job at first.
In the statement, Hereford House said it learned of the tampering on April 25 when police arrived at the restaurant to speak with Hanson. The restaurant destroyed all the food and cleaned and sanitized the kitchen and surrounding areas.
The restaurant also contacted state health authorities responsible for restaurant inspections and asked if any additional steps were needed. The health authorities indicated that the restaurant “had taken all appropriate steps,” Hereford House said.
Hereford House also thanked its customers, saying, “Please know that we are just as upset and disturbed by this situation as you are. And we will continue to work hard to earn your trust and business.”
The Star’s Ilana Arougheti contributed.
