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MURRAY — A resident at a group home in Murray was charged Thursday with putting liquid de-icer into a staff member's drink.
The man, 18, is charged in 3rd District Court with surreptitious administering of a substance, a second-degree felony.
On March 22, Murray police were called to a group home near 200 West and 6400 South on a report of a possible assault. Officers discovered that an 18-year-old man, who earlier had "ranted about being upset at" a staff member, had poured liquid de-icer into her drink, according to charging documents.
A witness "observed (the man) get up from his seat in the back of the van, go to the front seat, retrieve a jug of blue de-icer, pour some of the de-icer into the jug's cap, and then pour the cap's contents into (the staff member's) cup. (The witness) heard (him) say, 'Let's see if she likes the taste of this,'" according to the charges.
Another witness stated that the man poured "one or two capfuls" into the drink, the charges state.
The staff member told police that she noticed her drink, which was in a clear plastic cup, had been tampered with after she returned to the van, according to the charges. Court documents do not say whether she actually drank any of the liquid.
Police noted that the bottle of de-icer had several warnings on it, including "Do not drink or inhale," and another message in all capitals that states, "Cannot be made nonpoisonous."
