KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Two people have been charged with mixing Methomyl, a poisonous substance, into salsa served to customers at Mi Ranchito in Lenexa, Kan.
According to U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch, Arnoldo Bazan, 30, of Shawnee, Kan., and Yini De La Torre, 19, of Shawnee, Kan., who are husband and wife, are charged with one count of conspiring to recklessly endanger other people by conspiring to tamper with a consumer product, and two counts of tampering with a consumer product.
Bazan was employed at a Mi Ranchito restaurant in Olathe, Kan., until June 27, 2009. De La Torre was employed at the Mi Ranchito in Lenexa until Aug. 30, 2009.
An indictment alleges Bazan perceived the owner of Mi Ranchito restaurants as responsible for Bazan losing his job and his vehicle, according to a news release. Bazan and De La Torre devised a plan to use a Methomyl-based pesticide to poison patrons of the restaurant in hopes that the owner of Mi Ranchito would be blamed and suffer financial losses.
On Aug. 10, 2009, De La Torre placed Methomyl into the salsa at the Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa. On Aug. 11, 2009, twelve patrons immediately suffered nausea, abdominal cramps, weakness, sweating and discomfort.
On Aug. 30, 2009, De La Torre again placed Methomyl into salsa at the Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa. On that day,
36 patrons immediately suffered nausea, abdominal cramps, weakness and chest discomfort.
