MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A southwest Miami-Dade man sat down for a meal and took a hearty swig of tea, only to discover his drink was flavored mainly of highly-concentrated bleach; authorities said his live-in girlfriend of three years was responsible.
Miami-Dade police arrested Ivette Diaz, 49, on Friday afternoon. They said the attempted poisoning happened on Feb. 20 at the couple’s home in the 28000 block of Southwest 158th Place.
Recommended Videos
According to an arrest report, at around 5:20 p.m., the victim had decided to make himself a meal and some tea. Police said he briefly stepped out to make a phone call, leaving Diaz alone.
The report states that after finishing his call, he returned to sit and eat with Diaz at the table.
Police said he offered her a bite of his tortilla meal and she accepted.
“When she exclaimed how spicy it was, he offered her his cup of tea which she adamantly declined,” police wrote in the report.
Police said the victim then took a “large gulp” of tea himself and his throat “immediately started to burn.”
He then noticed a “strong smell of bleach emanating from the cup,” authorities said.
“The victim immediately poured the drink into the sink, at which time he saw the remnants of a concentrated bleach tablet he uses for dissolving into (five) gallons of water,” police wrote in the report. “(He) turned to (Diaz) and stated ‘There’s bleach in this drink! Did you put bleach in my drink?’”
Police said she replied, “I thought it was sugar.”
“It should be noted the sugar (powder form) (is) kept in (an) upper kitchen cabinet while the concentrated chlorine (tablet form) (is) kept under the kitchen sink,” detectives wrote.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews took the man to Homestead Hospital for treatment, police said.
Authorities took Diaz into custody Friday; police said she invoked her right to an attorney.
As of Monday, she remained held without bond in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a charge of poisoning food or water, a first-degree felony.