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Former Krystal manager arrested after accusations of blood on a drive-thru bag

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A now former manager of a local Krystal faces criminal charges. It all started with accusations of blood on a drive-thru bag.

The incident happened Friday at the Krystal on State Road 16 in St. Augustine.

According to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, a couple went through the drive-thru but came back when they noticed a "reddish colored substance" on the bag and boxes of hamburgers.

The husband told police "he has been a fire fighter for years, and the substance appeared to be blood." Brian Pace, 36, was arrested for resisting without violence when he wouldn't cooperate with police and ran into the kitchen. The store is investigating what happened.

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"We don't know what the substance was on there. They are testing it for barbecue sauce, ketchup, things like that," said general manager Crystal Lukens.

Krystal released this statement:

"Krystal has a long-standing policy of fully cooperating with local authorities. We are reviewing the incident and remain committed to maintaining the highest standards to best ensure health and safety in our restaurants."

Action News Jax pulled their records, and this Krystal location has no recent health violations but has had issues with manager certifications.

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