Search icon

Crime

16th Mar 2022

Boss admits to spiking her employees’ drinks with colon cleanser

Kieran Galpin

Colon cleanser is usually used to remedy constipation

A Texan woman has pleaded guilty to assault after admitting to spiking her employees’ drinks with colon cleanser, which is usually used to remedy constipation.

Denise Hernandez from Tyler in Texas was working as an elections administrator at Smith County Courthouse when she was arrested last year following an incident on April 27.

Denise Hernandez,

According to police reports, Hernandez, 54, was conversing with two female employees before she ran off only to return with two cups of pink liquid, which she claimed was Sparks energy drink.

After watching them drink the liquid, she is said to have put the medicine bottle on the counter while “singing ‘you just drank colon cleanser’ in a childish manner”, according to reports.

The two employees were left in “severe pain and discomfort”, and yet, Hernandez continued to laugh and mock them. “The act caused the pre-existing conditions of each victim to be amplified and caused them pain,” investigators said.

Affidavits from the unnamed employees claim their boss was a “bully” who would regularly poke fun at the pair and had poked her employee’s breast in one instance. This left the workers scared and humiliated but they reported the incident to HR just over a month after it had happened.

Hernandez was arrested on June 1 2021, reported CBS19.

UnSplash

Shortly after the incident, Hernandez resigned from her job. However, just a few days later, she attempted to rescind her resignation, citing that she loved her job too much to let this “childish incident” jeopardise her career. Despite the plea, her resignation was accepted by the Smith County Elections Commission.

Hernandez pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing bodily harm on March 9 and has served 18 months of deferred adjudication, which means the offence will be kept off her criminal record.

Related links: