A New Jersey woman was charged with aggravated assault more than a month after prosecutors said she laced an acquaintance’s cup of tea, resulting in her dayslong hospitalization.
The alleged poisoning occurred at a Fort Lee restaurant, where Rohweniven Bacani, of Hackensack, had been waiting for the acquaintance with a cup of tea for the woman to drink on September 8, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
The woman had agreed to meet with Bacani, 52, at the restaurant so they could “discuss unauthorized banking activity that the victim detected within her financial accounts, to which Bacani had shared access,” the prosecutor’s office said in a Friday, October 16, news release.
She had a few sips, but didn’t finish the beverage due to an “unusual taste,” according to prosecutors.
Afterward, the woman allegedly collapsed while walking out of the restaurant.
She then awoke in a hospital with no recollection of having arrived at the facility, the prosecutor’s office said.
The Leonia Police Department began investigating after learning of the woman’s “serious medical episode” due to a possible poisoning, according to prosecutors.
“Detectives learned that the victim, who was hospitalized for several days and now recovering, believed she had been poisoned by an acquaintance, later identified as Rohweniven Bacani,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Investigators discovered Bacani allegedly added a benzodiazepine to the woman’s tea.
Benzodiazepines are prescription medications that act as a depressant and slow a person’s nervous system down, according to the Cleveland Clinic. They are considered controlled substances due to their potential, dangerous effects.
Examples of benzodiazepines include Xanax, Klonopin and Ativan.
Bacani was arrested Thursday, October 15, on a charge of third-degree aggravated assault in connection with the alleged benzodiazepine poisoning, according to prosecutors.
Following her arrest, Bacani was booked in the Bergen County Jail ahead of her first court appearance.
It’s not immediately clear whether Bacani had retained legal counsel or entered a plea.
“The charge is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” the prosecutor’s office noted in the news release.
