MISHAWAKA — Some young adults make the mall or movie theater their hang out spot. For 18-year-old Gavin Maydon, he prefers Taco Bell.

He’s talking about the restaurant on McKinley Avenue in Mishawaka. But when he dined there around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Maydon said the experience was different.

“I walked in and ordered the food. There was a couple sitting over by the drink stand when his fiance screamed, and they looked over to the left, and there was a mouse sitting right next to the soda machine and the sweet tea dispenser,” he recalled .

Maydon says he recorded the incident on his cell phone, adding the manager tried to catch mouse with a metal food storage container.

“When he tried to capture it, it ran across the table into the soda catcher, and when they went to lift the grate, it ran into the trash can,” continued Maydon.

He said the manager tried to remove the trash can, except the bin fell, spilling the mouse onto the floor. No one could find it, and Maydon’s unsure if staff re-captured the pest.

“I was in complete shock and disbelief that I actually saw a mouse at Taco Bell,” said Gavin.

Maydon says the Taco Bell manager apologized.

“I sincerely hope they can get this controlled because I would hate to see Taco Bell have a downfall just because of a rodent problem like this. I believe it can be controlled if precautions are taken,” he said.

Taco Bell’s corporate media relations team released the following statement:

Taco Bell takes food safety very seriously. Both the local health department and a third party expert evaluated the restaurant and declared this an isolated incident. We have reached out to these guests and offered them refunds.

Maydon said the corporate office refunded him with a gift card.

On Wednesday, the St. Joseph County Health Department says it received a complaint about the mouse and sent an inspector to the restaurant. Taco Bell has 10 days to respond to the Health Department’s report, which could be released as soon as 10 days from now.

To see the video, visit WNDU.

Source: WNDU