North Providence Employee Charged with Poisoning Co-Worker
NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A North Providence town employee, Alessio D’Andrea, 29, of Johnston, has been arrested and charged with felony poisoning after allegedly spiking a co-worker’s drink with windshield washer fluid, police announced.
The arrest stems from an incident that occurred in the last week of June, according to the North Providence Police Detective Division. The investigation found that D’Andrea filled an empty Gatorade bottle with the toxic liquid while two other employees looked on. He then placed the bottle into a shared refrigerator in the Public Works repair division building.
An unsuspecting co-worker drank from the bottle, immediately realizing something was wrong. After learning from colleagues that the drink contained windshield washer fluid and that it was intended as a “prank,” the victim went to the hospital, where he was kept under observation for a day and a half.
D’Andrea is currently on unpaid administrative leave, police confirmed.
