Ivette Diaz pictured in a mug shot (Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation)
A Miami, Florida, woman allegedly placed a bleach tablet in her boyfriend’s tea last Tuesday evening only to exclaim “I thought it was sugar” after the man “took a large gulp” and “immediately” felt his throat burning.
Ivette Diaz, 49, is accused of tainting the unsuspecting victim’s tea while her live-in boyfriend of three years was outside on the phone with his employer, according to an arrest report by the Miami-Dade Police Department. The documents said the man made tea and a tortilla meal after 5 p.m. on Feb. 20 but stepped out for the work-related phone call while Diaz remained inside the residence by herself. When the victim returned, cops said, he offered Diaz a bite of a “spicy” tortilla to eat — and some of the tea to drink. But Diaz allegedly “adamantly” refused to drink the tea, leading investigators to suspect that she must have known the tea was not safe to drink.
“When she exclaimed how spicy it was, he offered her his cup of tea which she adamantly declined. The victim then took a large gulp from his cup and his throat started to immediately burn. The victim then noticed a strong smell of bleach emanating from his cup. 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 5 gallons of water, in his cup,” the arrest report said. “The victim turned to the defendant and stated ‘there’s bleach in this drink! Did you put bleach in my drink?”
Though the defendant allegedly replied that she thought the bleach tablet was sugar, police suggested that it could not have been an innocent mistake based on where the sugar and bleach were located in the kitchen.
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“It should be noted the sugar (power firm) in kept in an upper kitchen cabinet while the concentrated chlorine (tablet form) are kept under the kitchen sink,” the arrest report continued.
Cops said that Diaz asked for a lawyer after she was initially taken into custody. No details were provided about a suspected motive in the case.
Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation records reviewed by Law&Crime show that Ivette Diaz was booked into jail on Friday afternoon the first-degree domestic violence poisoning food or water case.
Under Florida law, a person who “introduces, adds, or mingles any poison, bacterium, radioactive material, virus, or chemical compound with food, drink, medicine, or any product designed to be ingested, consumed, or applied to the body with intent to kill or injure another person” commits a first-degree felony, a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison upon conviction.
As of Monday afternoon, the defendant remained in custody without bond. Court records, which did not show that a defense attorney has entered an appearance, indicate that Diaz was ordered on Saturday detained ahead of trial. An arraignment was scheduled for 9:15 a.m. on March 15.
Read the arrest report obtained by Law&Crime here.
