Police have arrested a Virginia woman for allegedly planting a dead mouse in her soup and then trying to extort money out of Cracker Barrel, the restaurant chain said.
Carla Patterson of Hampton, VA, was having lunch at the company's restaurant with her two sons when she claimed to have discovered a dead mouse in her soup. The chain immediately stopped serving the soup nationally and launched an internal investigation.
Patterson ultimately demanded "a large sum of money," Cracker Barrel said.
Meanwhile, Cracker Barrel endured weeks of negative publicity over the incident.
"Because of the efforts of the dedicated law enforcement officers in Newport News, this woman has been exposed in her effort to extort money from our company," said Cracker Barrel president Donald Turner.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.