CARMEL, Ind. --
A Carmel police officer said he was the victim of a disgusting prank at a local pizza restaurant.
Jeff Horner was on duty when he decided to stop by the Hot Box Pizza on East Carmel Drive.
Horner ordered a slice of pizza and an order of bread sticks with cheese sauce, but said he got something extra, 6News' Ericka Flye reported.
"After I consumed two bread sticks dipped in cheese sauce, I happened to look down at the cheese sauce cup and at that point I saw a slimy white substance mixed into the cheese," said Horner. "I touched it and it stuck to my finger; it was stringy, like somebody had spit into my cheese sauce."
Horner said the employees denied spitting in the cheese sauce, so he left and had it tested.
A lab confirmed it was mucus, and a 17-year-old Hot Box employee later confessed.
"I was very disgusted. Almost to the point where I felt like I was going to puke," Horner said.
Horner said the teen admitted to having a dislike for police officers.
"He stated that yes, he had spit into the food. He did not know me, did not know the other officer, but wanted to 'stick it to the man' and didn't like police officers," Horner said.
Horner said he was wearing a shirt with an embroidered badge on it. Another officer eating with him was in full uniform.
Although it happened in 2009, the teen just recently plead guilty.
Horner said he is outraged because the teen, just three days away from being 18, was tried as a juvenile. He paid court costs and got no other punishment.
Horner said the reaction from Hot Box angers him even more because it's a felony to tamper with people's food.
"(Hot Box) said we're not responsible for what our employees do. They never even offered an apology," Horner said.
The Carmel Hot Box restaurant has since been sold and has a new owner and new employees. The mother of one of the employees said the restaurant is getting a bad rap.
"It's important that we distinguish that this gross thing happened in 2009; but moving forward it hasn't been a problem and it's not going to be a problem," Laura Bruckman said.
"Some people might think of this as a joke, but to me it was a very serious thing. Not only very disgusting for me, but also the fact that you could actually transmit diseases that way," Horner said.
Horner had his blood tested and said he didn't contract any diseases.
The Hot Box Pizza Company did not return calls to 6News for a comment.
Horner said he just wants to make sure the company notifies employees of the incident to make sure it doesn't happen again.
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