A Texas woman has pled guilty to assault after admitting to tricking her employees into drinking colon cleanser.
Denise Hernandez, 54, was working as an elections administrator at the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas last year when she was arrested for spiking two workers' drinks with the fluid, which is used to remedy constipation.
According to police filings, Hernandez had had a short conversation with the two female workers, and then left before returning with two cups filled with a pink substance which she claimed was Sparks energy drink.
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After watching the workers drink the liquid, she revealed the truth, placing a canister of the medicine on the counter and 'singing 'you just drank colon cleanser' in a childish manner,' court documents said.
According to local news reports at the time of Hernandez' arrest, the two employees had been left in 'severe pain and discomfort,' yet Hernandez continued to mock and make fun of them, even after they returned to work following the incident.
"The act caused the pre-existing conditions of each victim to be amplified and caused them pain," investigators said.
In sworn affidavits, the two employees, who have not been named, said they were initially too scared to speak up about the incident, which took place last April, and described Hernandez as a 'bully.'
One of the employees said Hernandez would routinely make fun of the pair, and would 'poke her breast,' while other employees who overheard her talking about the cleanser prank also described her as a bully.
Eventually the pair worked up the courage to come forward, leading to their boss' arrest just over a month later after her actions were referred to the police by Smith County Human Resources officials.
Hernandez pleaded guilty today, March 15, to two counts of assault causing bodily harm, and was handed a sentence of 18 months of deferred adjudication, which means her conviction will be kept off her criminal record.
Shortly after the incident Hernandez had resigned from her job, but attempted to rescind her resignation a few days later, telling Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran that she had initially tried to quit following her role in what she described as a 'childish incident,' but later decided that she loved her job too much to leave it.
Her original resignation has since been accepted by the Smith County Elections Commission.
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Hannah Smith