WASHINGTON — A Sterling, Virginia, woman was arrested Friday and faces felony charges after former co-workers told police she put cleaning products in the office coffee maker and some employees reported being severely sickened.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office arrested 32-year-old Mayda E. Rivera-Juarez on Friday. She is charged with felony assault for intentionally adulterating food and is being held without bond.
Former co-workers at the JAS Forwarding Worldwide on Ocean Court in Sterling filed a report with Loudoun County authorities Oct. 13. The co-workers reported falling ill over a period of several weeks, including experiencing severe digestive problems and diarrhea, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Alex Kowalski told WTOP.
Rivera-Juarez is accused of pouring cleaning supplies used for windows and bathrooms in the coffee maker used by employees at the small shipping company, which employees about eight people, Kowalski said.
It’s unclear when Rivera-Juarez was employed with the company. Co-workers who filed the report described Rivera-Juarez as a disgruntled employee who didn’t see eye-to-eye with other employees, Kowalski said.
