SC woman fell ill after co-worker spiked her iced tea with degreaser, police say
Rock Hill police arrested a South Carolina woman Thursday after video showed her pouring degreaser into a co-worker’s iced tea before the victim drank it and became sick, according to police and court documents.
Tina Michelle Burch, 57, of York, is charged with felony illegal tampering with drugs or food, according to an arrest warrant obtained by The Herald.
Burch and the victim worked together at a company on Galleria Boulevard, a police incident report stated. The name of the business and the identity of the victim were not released by police.
Officers say security video from the workplace shows Burch pour the cleaner into the victim’s bottle of iced tea after the victim had walked away from her post around 12:45 a.m. Thursday. Burch then put the cap back on the tea bottle, police said.
The victim returned and took a drink, then vomited and had facial numbness before requiring medical treatment, according to the warrant and police report.
Police talked to the victim at a medical facility after the incident but her condition was not released. Authorities did not disclose what might have sparked the incident.
The tea bottle was seized as evidence, according to the report and Rock Hill police Capt. Brent Allmon.
Burch was arrested at work Thursday but denied involvement, according to the police report. It remains unclear if she has a lawyer.
The charge against Burch can carry up to 20 years in prison for a conviction, South Carolina law shows. Burch remained at the York County jail Friday under a $35,000 bond, according to the York County Sheriff’s Office jail web site.
