In a bizarre turn of events straight out of a neighborhood night-vision camera, Kourtney Stevenson, a DoorDash driver visiting family in Evansville, Indiana, was arrested Friday after authorities say she deliberately sprayed what appears to be pepper spray onto a customer’s Arby’s order before leaving the delivery — only to later tell police she was trying to kill a spider because she’s “terrified of them.”
It all unfolded in the early hours of December 7, when Mark and Mandy Cardin placed a late-night order from Arby’s, a typical Sunday delivery they expected to enjoy at home. But shortly after Mandy took a few bites, she began choking and gasping, ultimately vomiting as the couple realized something was terribly off with their meal.
Confused and alarmed, Mark checked their doorbell camera footage and watched in disbelief as Stevenson, identified later by detectives through DoorDash records, placed the food bag, snapped a confirmation photo for the app, then appeared to aim a small canister at the delivery and spray it before walking off.
That footage proved pivotal. Investigators from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office say it not only confirmed deliberate tampering but led them straight to Stevenson, a Kentucky resident visiting her father. She was booked into the McCracken County Jail on charges of consumer product tampering and battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, both felonies under Indiana law.
When questioned by deputies, Stevenson offered a peculiar explanation: she wasn’t targeting the food at all — she was allegedly trying to spray a spider that she claimed was nearby, saying she is “terrified of spiders.” But law enforcement was quick to push back on that reasoning, noting that outdoor spiders are inactive at the reported 35°F overnight low, making her account highly unlikely.
DoorDash responded to the incident with swift action, permanently revoking Stevenson’s access to the platform, calling the conduct “appalling” and stating the company has “zero tolerance for this type of behavior” while cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
For the Cardins, the incident has been more than just a shocking clip on their security feed — it’s a sobering reminder of the vulnerabilities that come with relying on strangers to deliver food into our homes. As the case moves forward, authorities are urging anyone with further information to come forward, and neighbors are left asking how something so ordinary could turn so unsettling in just a few seconds.
