Woman Charged After Allegedly Poisoning Boyfriend With Bleach Tablet In Tea

A 49-year-old woman from Miami-Dade, Ivette Diaz, was taken into custody on Friday on charges of poisoning her boyfriend.

The arrest stems from an incident on Feb. 20, when her boyfriend reportedly discovered a bleach tablet in his tea cup. The charge against Diaz is specifically for poisoning food or water, as outlined in the arrest report. It is unsure if Diaz has secured legal counsel.

The alleged poisoning occurred at the couple's residence, located off Southwest 158th Place. The pair had been living together for approximately three years. The arrest report does not provide additional details about the motive behind the alleged poisoning or the circumstances leading up to the incident.

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According to the report, Diaz's boyfriend — whose identity has not been made public — prepared a meal for himself, including a cup of tea, before stepping outside to make a phone call to his employer.

Upon his return, he offered Diaz a taste of his meal, which she accepted. He also extended his cup of tea to her, which she strongly declined, as recounted in the report, making investigators suspect she knew the drink was unsafe.

The boyfriend, unaware of any potential danger, proceeded to take a substantial gulp from his tea cup. Almost instantly, he experienced a burning sensation in his throat. He reportedly detected a strong smell of bleach originating from the cup before pouring the contaminated tea down the sink.

Upon inspecting the cup's contents, the boyfriend made a startling discovery — the lingering remnants of a concentrated bleach tablet — typically recommended for dissolution in 5 gallons of water.

He confronted Diaz, asking, "There's bleach in this drink! Did you put bleach in my drink?" Diaz reportedly replied that she "thought it was sugar."

The boyfriend was transported to Homestead Hospital for urgent medical treatment.

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The official report highlighted a stark contrast between the alleged substance mix-up, with sugar stored in powder form in an upper kitchen cabinet, and the bleach tablets securely kept beneath the kitchen sink.

Diaz's landlord, as reported by NBC-6, witnessed the unfolding events as police took her into custody.

"I don't know what happened with them because they look like a beautiful, very happy couple," the landlord claimed. "When police was here, he went to the hospital. She was in the police car about 3-4 hours, they were waiting for the detective to come to the property."

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, under Florida law. Diaz faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.