OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies in Osceola County arrested a 13-year-old boy who they said put one of his prescription pills in his teacher's drink.
It happened during first period, sixth grade language arts class on Monday at Discovery Intermediate School when Ortiz's teacher went to the restroom. She came back and drank a cup of coffee. She went home sick, but it wasn't until the rumors started that she realized she'd been drugged, officials said.
After speaking with several students in the teacher's class, school officials and the school resource officer confirmed that Jose Ernesto Ortiz had put one of his prescribed medication pills, Clonidine, a blood pressure medication, in the teacher's drink, according to deputies.
"I mean putting a pill in a teacher's glass. That's not right," said student Roberto Vasquez.
Deputies interviewed Ortiz who cooperated with the investigation. He admitted to detectives that he put one of his pills, which he takes to help him sleep at night, in the teacher's drink because she yelled at him in class.
"He obviously didn't know or couldn't know the consequences, this was a dangerous act, " said Twis Lizasuain of the Osceola Sheriff's Office.
The Osceola County Sheriff's Office said the prescription drug was Clonidine. It relaxes the blood vessels. In addition to treating hypertension, the drug has been used as treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
But the 13-year-old accused of drugging his teacher told an investigator that he "takes the pills to go to sleep and he wanted her to go to sleep."
Based on the information, Ortiz was charged with poison of food with the intent to injure and was booked into the Osceola County Juvenile Detention Center with no bond.
A hearing will determine when Ortiz gets out and under what conditions. Because of privacy issues, the school would not comment on any action it could take.
WFTV
