Two children burned their throats after they ordered apple juice at a local Chinese restaurant. The incident took place on Friday and the police started investigating the incident.
The two kids were identified as Richard Zaragoza, Jr. and his half-sister Ginaya Mendoza. They were at an all-you-can-eat buffet last Friday. The father of the children said they were with their mother, Virginia Davis, at the Star Buffet and Grill, located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The evening was planned for the birthday of Zaragoza, who just turned 10 at the time of the incident.
The father continued to say the Star Buffet and Grill is the favorite place of Zaragoza and he was the one who chose where they will celebrate his birthday. Ginaya, four-years-old, drank the apple juice after the server brought it to them in cups, AOL.com reported.
However, the father of Zaragoza said the delivery of the apple juice already made was different because the whole time they have been going there, the apple juice would be placed in a Styrofoam cup with ice not yet made up. Zaragoza and Ginaya threw up after drinking the juice and there was blood. The mother of Zaragoza also tasted the juice but did not swallow it. She still underwent medical attention for precaution, as per ABC News.
The two kids were taken to Hershey Medical Center. They were initially at the intensive care unit and were later pronounced to be in stable condition.
Zaragoza, however, is in a more serious condition as he is still sedated and is dependent on an intubation device. Zaragoza also suffers from diabetes and cystic fibrosis but his father said the boy is responsive yet the concern for his health remains.
Per initial investigation, the owner of the restaurant told officials the apple juice was purchased at a local supermarket. The Hershey Medical Center revealed methanol was present in the beverages but other contaminants are yet to be determined. As for the restaurant, it remains open for business.
