Superglue in soda; Milwaukee man accused pleads not guilty
Joseph Ross
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - A Milwaukee man accused of placing drops of superglue into a co-worker's soft drink pleaded not guilty on Thursday, April 3 to charges against him.
Case details
What we know:
The accused is Joseph Ross – and he faces a charge of placing foreign objects in edibles.
According to the criminal complaint, Wisconsin State Fair Park police officers were conducting a foot patrol of the exhibition center on Thursday, March 20.
During that patrol, a woman approached them and requested a private conversation. The person told the officers that "approximately 2 to 3 weeks ago, (she) suspected that her beverages on her desk had been contaminated by a chemical substance. (The woman) was made aware of the contamination, due to the strong chemical smell and taste," the complaint says. The woman told officers she became ill as a result.
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The complaint says the woman "set up a surveillance camera concealed below (the woman's) computer monitor to see if anyone was putting substances into her beverage," the complaint says. The camera later captured the woman's co-worker, the defendant "put a foreign substance into (the woman's) soft drink," the complaint says.
The complaint goes on to say the defendant was "in possession of a small bottle/tube type dispenser, with a white nozzle. The dispenser appears to be brown/orange in color." The defendant is "observed to pinch and manipulate the small bottle/tube with his left thumb and forefinger while continuously holding the dispenser above the can of soda" before walking out of camera view.
Interview of defendant
What they're saying:
Shortly after 5 p.m. that same day, police conducted an interview with the defendant who "admitted to placing a supplement into (the woman's) soft drink," the complaint says. When investigators searched the defendant's desk, they located latex gloves that were "wadded into a ball." When the officers unraveled the gloves, they "found that each contained an item. One glove contained a blue plastic cap. The other glove contained a superglue container," the complaint says. It was Gorilla brand superglue.
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Based on what officers found at the defendant's desk area, they arrested the defendant.
Superglue in soda; man accused of placing drops in co-worker's drink
A 34-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of placing drops of superglue into a woman's soda.
What's next:
Ross is due back in court for a scheduling conference on May 13.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access as well as the criminal complaint associated with this case.