PA Restaurant Where Children Sickened By Apple Juice Is Closed: Report

The Pennsylvania restaurant where two children drank tainted apple juice that landed them in intensive care has now been shut down, according to media reports.

The closure of the Star Buffet and Grill in East Lampeter Township in Lancaster County is due to building code violations, however, not the incident last week.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture inspected the restaurant on Tuesday, and collected samples at the scene, the East Lampeter Township Police Department said.

The township cited plumbing issues and electrical problems, among 23 other violations, in a notice taped to the front door of the restaurant, according to Lancaster Online. The restaurant cannot reopen until all issues are addressed.

The incident occurred on Friday, March 3 at around 7:14 p.m., when 10-year-old Richie Zaragoza and 4-year-old Ginaya Mercado had an immediate reaction to apple juice they drank, according to police.

Both suffered from burns in their mouths and throats and were vomiting, police said. One other child had stomach discomfort and one adult said that his mouth was burned, both after drinking from the same juice. Police said these reactions were confined to one group of patrons, and no one else suffered any ill effects.

Richie, who also suffers from cerebral palsy, was airlifted along with Ginaya from Lancaster General Hospital to Hershey Medical Center, where they remain in serious but stable condition, authorities said.

The incident is being investigated by authorities at multiple levels of government, including local police, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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