A Turlock woman is recovering after her ex-boyfriend put rat poison in her food, make-up and marijuana, the Turlock Police Department reported.
The suspect, Eric Jimenez Castillo, 23, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of attempted murder, intentionally poisoning a food, drink, medicine or water supply and burglary.
The poisoning came to light when Castillo called the victim and admitted to what he had done, according to the police department. The victim contacted the police about the incident.
The victim said she and Castillo had dated for about a year and recently broken up. On Wednesday, the victim returned to her apartment in the 900 block of W. Monte Vista Avenue to find Castillo inside. He immediately fled the residence, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Parmley.
The victim called Castillo to confront him about being in her apartment, which is when he apparently started having second thoughts about his actions and told the victim he had put rat poison in her food, marijuana and make-up. Castillo then drove to the victim’s home and took her to a hospital.
The woman had ingested some of the poison, but was unsure from which source and how much. Some rodent poisons use anticoagulants in higher doses, which can cause internal bleeding, even days later if not treated. Some use zinc phosphide that can cause a lethal gas to form inside the body.
The victim was treated for the poison at an area hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
The suspect’s vehicle was located abandoned in the area of Tampa and Niagra streets. A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle and rat poison was located, Parmley said.
Castillo was located around 2:15 a.m. Thursday walking in the area of W. Monte Vista Avenue and Dels Lane. He was taken into custody without incident and remains in the Stanislaus County Jail in lieu of a $580,000 bail.