A Lakeland man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for putting deadly plumber's lye into the sauce at a restaurant where he worked.
A local news outlet reported that Margarito Padilla, 54, pleaded no contest to introducing a chemical into a food or drink, as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Lakeland police said Padilla was arrested in June after the owner of Hibachi Express watched surveillance video that showed Padilla access a container of poisonous drain cleaner and then head to the area where the Yum Yum Sauce was kept. The owner had checked the video after tasting the sauce during a routine inspection, and feeling his mouth burn.
Padilla confessed to tainting the sauce because he was unhappy about working conditions.
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
