A New Mexico man was arrested last week after semen inside tainted yogurt samples were linked to his DNA.
According to the Associated Press, 32-year-old Anthony Garcia was charged with adulterating foods and making false statements to federal investigators. He was arrested by the local authorities and officials from the U.S. Food and Drug administration.
Garcia allegedly gave out samples of yogurt to customers at the Sunflower Market in Alburquerque in January. A female customer reportedly called in the crime after she believed the sample to include bodily fluid.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth Gonzales said he was upset by the incident and will pursue any individuals in the future who attempts to hand out harmful food for sexual gratification.
“No one should have to endure this type of experience simply because she or he accepts a food sample with shopping for groceries,” said Gonzales.
Authorities said that do not plan to pursue action against the store. According to a supermarket spokesperson the company views the crime as a “rogue employee who acted alone.”
Garcia originally told the authorities that he was unaware that the yogurt contained semen. He has since been fired from the company according to Sunflower Farmers Market president and chief executive, Chris Sherrell.
This is not the first time someone has been caught tainting food at a grocery store. In 2009 a Florida woman was caught tainting food on surveillance video at a Publix in in Tamarac.
According to local10.com in Miami, 50-year old Shirley Yabarr was spotted suspiciously putting on latex gloves and using an eye dropper to put a black liquid into food in her shopping cart. According to the report, the woman was using a Victoria’s Secret perfume bottle to fill baby food jars with ammonia. Ybarra was charge with the first-degree felony of poisoning food or water and is currently at BSO’s North Broward Bureau Jail in Pompano Beach.
