Delivery driver caught on doorbell spraying mystery substance on food explains why

A DoorDash driver who has been caught on camera allegedly spraying a mystery substance on customers' food has explained what she was doing.

Customer Mark Cardin, from the US, said that his wife 'started choking and gasping' after she took 'a couple bites of her food' and threw up.

“Then I noticed the bag had been tampered with and had some kind of spray all over it so I checked my footage from the doorbell camera,” he told Storyful.

Footage captured on 7 December shows Kourtney Stevenson delivering Arby’s to a home in Indiana when she sprayed an aerosol substance onto the bag.

The woman from Kentucky said she was staying with her father in Indiana and decided to take the job during her visit, as reported by Fox News.

McCracken County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana have since arrested Stevenson on felony Battery and Consumer Product Tampering charges.

Police said in a statement on 12 December that she 'told detectives that she used pepper spray, not on the food, but to spray a spider she said she saw while making the delivery'.

"She explained that she is terrified of spiders. The overnight low was 35°F. At that temperature, outdoor spiders in Indiana are not active and would not be capable of crawling on exposed surfaces," the force added.

"Stevenson later called and said she was not going to come in for an interview as scheduled. Detectives prepared an arrest affidavit.

The DoorDash driver has been arrested on felony Battery and Consumer Product Tampering charges (Police handout)

"A warrant for Stevenson’s arrest was prepared and issued charging Stevenson with two counts of Battery Resulting in Moderate Injury as Level 6 felonies and 2 counts of Consumer Product Tampering as Level 5 felonies.

"Authorities in McCracken County, KY were contacted and arrested Stevenson this morning."

Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office said Stevenson 'will be held without bond pending extradition to Indiana', and that the bond on the warrant has been 'set at $3,500.00 cash'.

Cardin said to 14 News: “We live in a terrible world right now. Horrific. People are mean for no reason. There was no reason to do what she done.

Kourtney Stevenson insisted that she was spraying a spider (Storyful)

“We assume it’s pepper spray, that’s more than likely what it is, but now in this day and age it could’ve been anything.

“It could’ve been rat poison, it could’ve been fentanyl. I mean, my wife could’ve been dead.”

Sheriff Noah Robinson said that locals 'should be able to trust that the food they order for their families is safe'.

"When someone violates that trust and endangers others, we will respond with urgency and we will pursue charges. I want to commend our detectives and also thank the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office and Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance in making this arrest,” Robinson added.