PINELLAS PARK, Fla. – A Florida man is accused of saturating his nephew’s meatball sandwich with eyedrop solution last week because he “hated” him and wanted to make him sick, police said.
James Leach, 45, was identified as the suspect. He is facing a criminal charge of poisoning food or water in connection with the Wednesday crime, according to a Pinellas Park police affidavit obtained by Fox Orlando.
Leach was at a business and asked an employee for a bottle of eyedrops, claiming he required them for his own dry eyes, according to the affidavit.
The employee knew the 45-year-old man as a regular customer who was having issues with his nephew, the victim. On the day of the offense, Leach reportedly told the employee that he “hated” his nephew.
When he was provided the eyedrops, Leach is accused of removing the cap and dumping the solution over his nephew’s meatball sandwich.
“The witness stated that could hurt someone and (Leach) responded by saying that it would only cause (his nephew) to ‘s— himself and puke his brains out,’” the police affidavit said.
The nephew only consumed a small portion of the sandwich before learning about his uncle’s actions, according to investigators.
Police obtained security video that showed Leach taking the bottle of eyedrops and dumping it on the sandwich.
Authorities discovered the address where the two men lived together. Leach was taken into custody and his nephew declined medical treatment.
According to authorities, Leach and his nephew have a “long history” of domestic-related incidents, Fox reported.
Leach was booked at the Pinellas County Jail. His bond was set at $50,000.
