A west-central Florida man faces a poisoning charge after being accused of putting eyedrops in his nephew’s meatball sandwich, authorities said.
According to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, James Paul Leach, 45, of Pinellas Park, was arrested on Wednesday. He was charged with one count of felony poisoning of food or water, online records show.
An arrest affidavit stated that a witness at an unnamed business said that Leach “had issues with his nephew” and that he “hated him today,” the Tampa Bay Times reported.
According to the Pinellas Park Police Department, Leach allegedly asked for a bottle of Visine eyedrops while buying food at about 7:05 p.m. EST, according to WFLA-TV.
A Pinellas man faces a poisoning charge after he put eye drops in his nephew’s meatball sandwich, cops say. That's a felony and his bail is set at $50,000. Poison control says eye drops are dangerous if swallowed.https://t.co/p0STcB6ksF
— Chris Tisch (@christisch1) December 15, 2023
After receiving the eyedrops, Leach allegedly poured the solution “all over the meatball sandwich,” according to the affidavit.
The incident was reminiscent of the 2005 movie, “The Wedding Crasher,” where Owen Wilson’s character adds eyedrops to another character’s drink in an attempt to make him ill.
When the witness voiced a concern that Leach’s nephew could also become ill, the suspect allegedly said it would only make the victim “(expletive) himself and puke his brains out,” according to the affidavit.
The witness called police, who arrived after Leach’s nephew had eaten part of the sandwich, the Times reported. The victim declined medical treatment, according to the newspaper.
Leach was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County Jail, online booking records show. Bail was set at $50,000.
A similar case resulted in a conviction last month in Wisconsin, as a woman was found guilty of killing her friend with a deadly dose of eyedrops.
Jessy Kurczewski, 39, of Franklin, Wisconsin, was convicted on Nov. 14 of one count of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of theft of movable property less than $100,000 but more than $10,000, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
