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An Arby’s employee was found dead inside a freezer at one of the chain restaurants in New Iberia, Louisiana. The female employee’s body was discovered by another employee, police told News15.
The unidentified employee’s body was found on the evening of May 11 during regular business hours. While investigators have not determined the death as “suspicious,” there are no indications that “foul play” was involved, according to New Iberia Police Capt. Leland Laseter.
“A situation like this is unusual, so we’re taking extra precautions during the investigation,” Laseter told media at the crime scene. “We pretty much have completed our process at the crime scene. After completely processing the crime scene… this does not seem like a homicide, it seems like an accident.”
The restaurant’s location in New Iberia, Louisiana is approximately 132 miles away from New Orleans.
Laseter said the employee was a manager for the Arby’s at the time of her death. Several other staff members have been interviewed by the police as part of an ongoing investigation.
The coroner’s office has not released the employee’s identity and cause of death, according to the New Iberia Police Department.
“We’re going to reexamine all the evidence … and they’re going to conduct an autopsy to give us the cause and manner of death. So there are a few more steps that we need to take before a final determination is made,” Laseter said.
Arby’s shared a statement addressing the incident with Today. The spokesperson revealed the owner of the franchise is cooperating with investigators.
“We are aware of the incident that took place at our franchised location in New Iberia, LA. The franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation. Due to this being an active investigation, we defer any further comment to the police department,” the statement read.
