Woman charged in Wendy’s chicken sandwich dispute pleads not guilty

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A woman accused of assaulting a fast food employee and vandalizing a Wendy’s restaurant over a chicken sandwich dispute pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.

Jalinia Stuart pleaded not guilty to a receiving stolen property charge and an illegal conveyance of weapons to detention charge on Thursday. Another suspect, Dominique Ezell, was indicted on a vandalism charge in the case.

Stuart and Ezell were arrested in May after police say they assaulted and tried to rob the employees of the Wendy’s on Laskey Road in Toledo after cheese was left off the crispy chicken sandwich Stuart ordered. Employees told officers that a disgruntled drive-thru customer, “who did not receive cheese on her crispy chicken sandwich,” entered the restaurant and angrily confronted the employees.

“Without provocation she grabbed two Frosty’s from the counter and threw them at the employees and knocked/threw several items from the register area,” the incident report reads. “Including the cookie display which hit and injured a pregnant female employee.”

Police say Stuart was carrying a minor child at the time. Shortly after, Ezell came in and began throwing items as well, damaging a sales register. Employees were able to remove the two suspects and were taking photos of them and the vehicle when Stuart allegedly grabbed an employee’s hair and pulled her to the ground in order to take the phone.

The phone was retrieved by another employee before the two suspects drove off, but not before Ezell “returned the chicken sandwich w/o cheese by throwing it into the restaurant.”

The TPD report said the incident did result in minor injuries. Stuart is out on an an own recognizance bond is her pretrial was scheduled for July 17.

Editor’s note: the attached video previously aired in May.