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CENTENNIAL, Colo. (KDVR) — The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has not found any evidence that employees at Taco Bell put rat poison in a customer’s food, and now deputies cannot get in contact with the customer who made the allegation.

On Jan. 15, deputies were called to an area hospital where a man told hospital staff that he ate food that had rat poison in it. The man told deputies that he had ordered food at a Taco Bell, located at 16700 E. Smoky Hill Rd. around 1 p.m. The man told deputies that he waited until around 7 p.m. to eat his tacos and then he became very ill and called 911 and was taken to the hospital.

Earlier that day, deputies were called to that same Taco Bell on reports of a disturbance. A customer allegedly got into an argument with an employee in the drive-thru because the soda machine was not working.

Deputies confirmed the man who was hospitalized was the same one involved in the argument.

Lab tests confirmed that rat poison was present in the taco.

ACSO searched the man’s remaining food and investigated the Taco Bell.

According to ACSO, over the last several days, investigators went through Taco Bell’s videos and found no evidence that the employees were responsible for placing the rat poison in the food.

During the investigation, officers have been trying to get in contact with the customer by phone and at his home, but there was no answer.

Although investigators found no evidence that the employees put the poison in the food, investigators say they cannot account for how it got in the taco.

Deputies are asking for the man to reach back out to the sheriff’s office if he has any further information.

FOX31 legal analyst George Brauchler says a civil case could follow this investigation if it turns out the customer wasn’t being truthful.

“I think if you’re Taco Bell, and there’s evidence that this guy made this up, you might turn your legal guns towards him and say we’re now going to sue you for the damage you tried to do to our brand,” Brauchler said.

Brauchler says in that scenario, the company would have to weigh whether the additional press would be worth it.

“I think for Taco Bell, it’s a double-edged sword,” he said.. “Do you want this story to go away yesterday? Or do you want to be vindicated? That’s a business decision.”

The case remains an active investigation.