Couple accused of poisoning restaurant customersCouple accused of poisoning restaurant customers

Alan J. Liddle

LENEXA Kan. Two former employees of Mi Ranchito are accused of intentionally poisoning 48 patrons at the chain’s restaurant here in August.

Officials involved in the multi-agency investigation said the alleged poisonings were tied to one of the suspect’s firing from Mi Ranchito’s Olathe, Kan., restaurant and his belief that an owner of the six-unit chain was responsible for the loss of his vehicle.

Arnoldo Bazan, 30, and his wife, Yini De La Torre, 19, were charged in U.S. District Court after allegedly mixing Methomyl, a poisonous substance used in pesticide, into salsa served to patrons at a Mi Ranchito restaurant, U.S. attorney Lanny Welch said Thursday.

Neither Bazan nor De La Torre could be reached for comment as of press time.

“I’m very happy. My business has started to come back,” said Rulber Dela Torre, co-owner of Mi Ranchito. “People are seeing that it was not about the cleanliness of the restaurant, but an intentional act by somebody trying to hurt my business.”

Initial speculation about the cause of the illness outbreaks, which happened about two weeks apart in August, centered on improperly installed water lines that created toxic carbonic acid by permitting carbonated water to contact copper plumbing.

However, local news reports in Kansas City indicated last month that the salsa made daily at the restaurant had been tainted with Methomyl, a pesticide that can quickly sicken people.

“We had a lot of problems in the beginning, but we’re relieved this is over and that we can get on with our lives and business," said Dela Torre, who noted that one of the suspects was his niece. “But what is really going to fix my problem is getting my customers back. Each one is worth a million dollars to me.”

The indictment against Bazan and De La Torre alleges that the husband made anonymous threats against one of the restaurant's owners after being fired in June. On Aug. 10, De La Torre allegedly placed Methomyl into salsa to be served at the Lenexa Mi Ranchito, where she worked, and a dozen patrons who consumed the salsa a day later suffered nausea, abdominal cramps, weakness, sweating and discomfort.

On Aug. 28, Bazan sent word to the chain's owner through a third party that “the worst” was yet to come, the indictment charges, and on Aug. 30, De La Torre again placed Methomyl into salsa at the Lenexa restaurant, which sickened 36 customers.

The indictment alleges that Bazan and De La Torre devised the plan to poison patrons of the restaurant in hopes that the owner of Mi Ranchito would be blamed and suffer financial harm.

Law enforcement officials also contend that Bazan threatened his wife with physical harm if she spoke to investigators.

According to the indictment, De La Torre told reporters after customers were sent to area hospitals that the salsa was to blame.

Rulber Dela Torre, who co-owns the business with his brother, Armando, said he was very appreciative of the effort to solve the case made by local, state and federal officials. He also noted that he had business-interruption insurance and hoped to recover some of the losses that resulted from the illness outbreaks.

Contact Alan J. Liddle at [email protected].