Exclusive: Taco Bell prankster clears the air on "urine in nachos" photo

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)  The picture he took at a Fort Wayne Taco Bell made national news in early August.  Thursday, the former employee spoke exclusively to NewsChannel 15 on the aftermath of his social media post.

Cameron Jankowski, 19, became the butt of national jokes after he posted a picture in what appeared to be him urinating in a Nachos BellGrande.

“When I was on comedy central for the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, that was a pretty big point.  I had a bunch of family across the nation calling me saying, ‘What the hell, you did that?’” Jankowski said.  “It was really just a joke that was blown way out of proportion."

Jankowski said he posted the picture to an online contest trying to win a free t-shirt.  The tipster organization "Anonymous" found it, and sent it to media outlets.

“When they said the media was getting contacted and then I saw it on the news, my stomach and my heart just dropped,” Jankowski said.

But the 19-year-old said what looks like urine, was actually watered-down Mountain Dew squirted out of a water bottle.

“It was an order that we had messed up already and it was going to be thrown away so I figured, why not get a t-shirt out of it I guess,” Jankowski said.

Jankowski was fired from the Taco Bell on the corner of Lima and Ludwig Roads.  He said Fort Wayne police dropped their investigation after he passed a lie detector test.

“There was a lot of places that wouldn't hire me,” Jankowski said.  “I can't really work in the food industry anymore because it will come back to haunt me.”   

On Thursday, the teenager said he finally got another job.

In the end, Jankowski never got that t-shirt for his picture.  He said all he received was a lesson of what not to do on social networks..

Jankowski is currently a student at IPFW and is ironically studying business management.  When asked what he would do if one of his employees posted that picture, he said he would fire them on the spot.