2 charged with poisoning salsa at Kan. restaurant

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- Two Shawnee residents are facing federal charges after being accused of poisoning salsa at a Mexican restaurant where nearly 50 diners became ill in August.

Arnoldo Bazan, 30, and his 19-year-old wife, Yini De La Torre, were charged Thursday in U.S. District Court with one count of conspiring to recklessly endanger other people by conspiring to tamper with a consumer product, and two counts of tampering with a consumer product.

Prosecutors said the two devised a scheme to place a pesticide in salsa at Mi Ranchito in Lenexa in order to cause the business financial harm. According to the indictment, Bazan was employed at the restaurant until June 27, and was mad at the owner when he lost his job and his vehicle.

Torre also was employed at the restaurant and is accused of putting the substance Methomyl into salsa on Aug. 10 and Aug. 30.

The indictment says 12 people became ill during the lunch rush on Aug. 11, suffering from nausea, abdominal cramps, weakness, sweating and discomfort.

During dinner on Aug. 30, 36 patrons became ill with the same symptoms. At the time, the restaurant blamed the sickness on carbonated water backing up and touching copper tubing, but state health officials questioned that assessment.

Prosecutors said Torre talked to reporters after the restaurant closed on Aug. 30 and told them that salsa was the cause of the problems. Court documents show that was her final day as an employee at the restaurant.

The restaurant was closed for two weeks as the state health department looked what caused the diners to get sick.

Both face up to 10 years in prison without parole if convicted on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years on the tampering charge.