A 45-year-old Florida resident, James Paul Leach, found himself behind bars after allegedly contaminating his nephew’s meatball sandwich with eyedrops, as per the police report. Leach is currently facing charges related to food or water poisoning.
The arrest affidavit, which was examined by Law&Crime, reveals that Leach was at a commercial establishment on Wednesday when he requested to purchase Visine eyedrops, typically used for dry eyes. Leach and his nephew share a residence, and he reportedly expressed his disdain for his nephew to an employee at the establishment.
The same employee claimed to have witnessed Leach opening the eyedrop bottle and dousing the meatballs in a sandwich with its contents. The employee warned Leach that consuming eyedrops could potentially harm someone, to which Leach allegedly responded that it would merely cause his nephew to “sh-t himself or puke his brains out.”
Following Leach’s departure from the establishment, the employee alerted the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The police responded promptly, arriving at the unnamed business to review surveillance footage. The video evidence reportedly showed Leach clearly pouring the eyedrops onto the sandwich. The police were able to identify Leach and locate his address through his previous purchases and deliveries from the business.
Upon reaching the residence in Pinellas Park, officers informed Leach’s nephew about the tainted food. The nephew reported that he had only consumed a small portion of the sandwich and refused medical attention. Leach was subsequently arrested. When approached by the police, Leach declined to speak and requested legal representation.
The affidavit also revealed a history of domestic disputes between Leach and his nephew, with deputies having been called to the residence on multiple occasions. Leach is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail with a bond set at $50,000.