A Bronx husband and wife say they ordered Spanish food from a popular eatery Sunday, but what they got instead was a rodent floating in soup.

Victor Marquez says his wife found a dead mouse in a bowl of soup that was part of a takeout order. After eating some of the food, Marquez claims his wife started crying and vomiting and had to be taken to Jacobi Medical Center. Marquez says his complaint call to Caridad Restaurant on Williamsbridge Road was met with indifference.

A Caridad manager says Marquez is making up the story. She claims the Department of Health (DHS) last cited the business in 2005 for mice. Since then, the restaurant has increased exterminations and says the problem is under control. The DHS, which passed Caridad in its August 2006 inspection, plans to send an inspector to evaluate Marquez's claim.

Meanwhile, Marquez is contacting an attorney and is considering legal action.