Starbucks Barista Dropped Blood In Toddler's Drink, Family Says

Starbucks is being accused of causing "stress, nervousness [and] fright" to a California family who allegedly found a Barista's blood in a drink consumed by a 2-year-old girl, the family's attorney said.

It was confirmed by the California family's attorney Wednesday that the popular coffee shop chain is facing a lawsuit following the allegations. The family's alleged discovery, which they claim occurred in February 2016, was detailed in a 19-page complaint from Frish Law Group — a Los Angeles-based firm that's representing the apparent victims.

Married couple Amanda Vice and Louis Vice alongside Rhonda Agles — the husband's mother — ordered a large sum of beverages through a San Bernardino Starbucks branch's drive-thru. In returning home, the family claimed to have spotted "a red smear on the side of one of the cups and the drink had a strong metallic smell," the complaint obtained by WTVR read.

They later discovered that a similar blood smear was also present inside another cup, which was being shared between another family member and the 2-year-old.

The wife called the Starbucks branch to complain about the family's finding. The branch's manager informed her that a female employee was bleeding on the job, but was pulled from the floor as a result. However, the wife confirmed to KCBS that the San Bernardino branch wouldn't test the employee to determine whether she was infected.

Starbucks previously offered to pay each apparent victim $1,000 in damages and give them free drinks for a week, but their attorney claimed that the family had to be tested for HIV twice.

"The family was then left to schedule their own blood tests, causing extreme distress for the parents as they had to watch their daughter be poked with a needle and agonizingly wait for the results," an attorney from Frish Law Group said in a statement, according to KNBC.

Starbucks confirmed to International Business Times that they are in the midst of a legal battle with the Vice family. The coffee company, however, said they will present its case in court.

"We are aware of this claim, that allegedly took place in 2016, and are prepared to present our case in court," a Starbucks spokesperson said to IBT.