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Man accused of putting 'superglue' in co-worker's soda

State Fair Park police found gloves and a bottle of superglue in the trash near Joseph Ross' desk

Man accused of putting 'superglue' in co-worker's soda

State Fair Park police found gloves and a bottle of superglue in the trash near Joseph Ross' desk

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      IT’S GOTTEN BIGGER THAN I EVER COULD HAVE DREAMED. FIRST HERE AT 6:00. A MILWAUKEE MAN CHARGED, ACCUSED OF PUTTING SUPER GLUE IN HIS COWORKERS DRINK. SO THIS ACT WAS ALL CAUGHT ON CAMERA. 12 NEWS HANNAH HILYARD LIVE AT WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK TONIGHT. AND HANNAH, THAT’S WHERE INVESTIGATORS SAY THIS CRIME TOOK PLACE. RIGHT, BLAKE? ADDING TO THE STRANGENESS OF THIS CASE, A VENDOR WHO HAD AN OFFICE HERE AT THE WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK ACCUSED OF SPIKING HIS COWORKERS SODA WITH SUPERGLUE. CAUGHT IN THE ACT. INVESTIGATORS SAY THIS PHOTO SHOWS 34 YEAR OLD JOSEPH ROSS SLIPPING SUPERGLUE INTO HIS COWORKERS. COCA-COLA CAN. WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK POLICE LEARNING OF THE INCIDENT WHILE PATROLLING THE EXPO CENTER. A VENDOR ON THE FAIR GROUNDS. STOPPING THE OFFICERS TO TELL HER STORY. ACCORDING TO THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT, SHE SAYS EARLIER IN THE MONTH, SHE, QUOTE, BECAME ILL AFTER NOTICING HER DRINKS HAD A STRONG CHEMICAL SMELL AND TASTE. SO SHE SET UP A CAMERA BELOW HER WORK COMPUTER. ON MARCH 20TH AT 9:23 A.M. BY 9:52 A.M., THAT CAMERA CAPTURING THIS IMAGE CONFIRMING HER SUSPICIONS. ROSS ADMITTING TO INVESTIGATORS HE PLACED A SUPPLEMENT IN HIS COWORKERS DRINK. 12 NEWS LEGAL EXPERT CRAIG JUNEAU. THE WAY I’M READING THAT IS THAT IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DECEIVE THE INVESTIGATORS WHILE MAKING AN ADMISSION. INVESTIGATORS EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT LOOKING FOR THE SUPPLEMENT FINDING. INSTEAD, THESE GLOVES AND THIS GORILLA SUPER GLUE IN A TRASH CAN NEAR ROSS AND THE VICTIM’S OFFICE. YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THIS CRIMINAL COMPLAINT? UNUSUAL. AND I’M IN THE. NOTHING IS EVER UNUSUAL BUSINESS. YOU DON’T SEE THIS A LOT. WHAT MAKES IT UNUSUAL? WELL, THIS IS A STATUTE THAT IS NOT TYPICALLY CHARGED BECAUSE THERE’S NOT A LOT OF INSTANCES WHERE POLICE OR THE AUTHORITIES CATCH SOMEBODY PUTTING SOMETHING IN SOMEONE’S DRINK. ROSS IS CHARGED WITH PLACING FOREIGN OBJECTS IN EDIBLES. HE’S IN CUSTODY ON A $10,000 BOND. YEAH, YOU CERTAINLY DON’T SEE THIS OFTEN. THE BIG QUESTION HERE, THOUGH, IS WHY? SO, BLAKE, THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT DID NOT MENTION ANY SORT OF MOTIVE FOR ROSS. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT HE IS NO LONGER ALLOWED HERE ON THE FAIRGROUNDS PROPERTY. THE STATE FAIR POLICE ISSUING A NO TRESPASS ORDER AGAINST HIM. ALL RIGHT.
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      Man accused of putting 'superglue' in co-worker's soda

      State Fair Park police found gloves and a bottle of superglue in the trash near Joseph Ross' desk

      A vendor working at the Wisconsin State Fair grounds is accused of putting superglue in his co-worker's soda.The Milwaukee County District Attorney's office has filed one felony count of placing foreign objects in edibles against Joseph Ross.According to a criminal complaint, State Fair Park Police received a report on March 20 from a woman who said in the past couple of weeks, the drinks on her desk had a "strong chemical smell and taste," and after she drank the beverages, she would get sick.She told State Fair police she set up a surveillance camera to monitor her drink on her desk, and the camera caught her co-worker, Joseph Ross, putting something into her drink.Police interviewed Ross, who admitted to placing a "supplement" into his co-worker's Coca-Cola."The way I'm reading that is that it was an attempt to deceive the investigators while making an admission," WISN 12 News legal expert Craig Mastantuono said regarding the mention of a supplement.Police obtained a search warrant for Ross' desk. According to the complaint, they found "clear protective gloves" and a superglue container and cap in the trash near Ross' office. The complaint contained still photos of the surveillance video appearing to show Ross putting something in the Coca-Cola can. The complaint also had photos of the gloves as well as the Gorilla Brand Super Glue. Detectives noted the glue had a warning to "keep out of the reach of children" due to the harm of ingestion. "I'm in the nothing-is-ever-unusual business, but you don't see this a lot," Mastantuono said. "This is a statute that is not typically charged because there's not a lot of instances where police or the authorities catch somebody putting something in someone's drink."Investigators said they sent the soft drink to the Wisconsin Crime Lab for testing. The criminal complaint did not mention a motive.Ross will be back in Milwaukee County Court on April 3 for a preliminary hearing.A spokesperson for Wisconsin State Fair park released the following statement in response to the incident.The two individuals involved were employed by a vendor and were not State Fair Park employees, therefore, we cannot comment on employment status. However, since this incident occurred while at State Fair Park, our police department responded, conducted a thorough investigation, and submitted the report to the District Attorney. Additionally, our police department has issued a 'No Trespass Order' to the individual being charged. While this incident did not happen between State Fair Park employees and did not involve any patrons, we want to reiterate that safety is top priority at State Fair Park, and we take these matters very seriously. Top HeadlinesDeath reported at old Milwaukee MallNew Berlin residents sue West Allis-West Milwaukee School DistrictMPD: Fake gun threat leads to deadly Milwaukee shooting

      A vendor working at the Wisconsin State Fair grounds is accused of putting superglue in his co-worker's soda.

      The Milwaukee County District Attorney's office has filed one felony count of placing foreign objects in edibles against Joseph Ross.

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      According to a criminal complaint, State Fair Park Police received a report on March 20 from a woman who said in the past couple of weeks, the drinks on her desk had a "strong chemical smell and taste," and after she drank the beverages, she would get sick.

      She told State Fair police she set up a surveillance camera to monitor her drink on her desk, and the camera caught her co-worker, Joseph Ross, putting something into her drink.

      Police interviewed Ross, who admitted to placing a "supplement" into his co-worker's Coca-Cola.

      "The way I'm reading that is that it was an attempt to deceive the investigators while making an admission," WISN 12 News legal expert Craig Mastantuono said regarding the mention of a supplement.

      Police obtained a search warrant for Ross' desk. According to the complaint, they found "clear protective gloves" and a superglue container and cap in the trash near Ross' office.

      The complaint contained still photos of the surveillance video appearing to show Ross putting something in the Coca-Cola can. The complaint also had photos of the gloves as well as the Gorilla Brand Super Glue. Detectives noted the glue had a warning to "keep out of the reach of children" due to the harm of ingestion.

      "I'm in the nothing-is-ever-unusual business, but you don't see this a lot," Mastantuono said. "This is a statute that is not typically charged because there's not a lot of instances where police or the authorities catch somebody putting something in someone's drink."

      Investigators said they sent the soft drink to the Wisconsin Crime Lab for testing. The criminal complaint did not mention a motive.

      Ross will be back in Milwaukee County Court on April 3 for a preliminary hearing.

      super glue recovered
      Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office
      Super glue recovered 
      gloves recovered
      Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office
      Gloves recovered 
      surveillance image substance in soda
      Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office
      Surveillance image substance in soda

      A spokesperson for Wisconsin State Fair park released the following statement in response to the incident.

      The two individuals involved were employed by a vendor and were not State Fair Park employees, therefore, we cannot comment on employment status. However, since this incident occurred while at State Fair Park, our police department responded, conducted a thorough investigation, and submitted the report to the District Attorney. Additionally, our police department has issued a 'No Trespass Order' to the individual being charged.

      While this incident did not happen between State Fair Park employees and did not involve any patrons, we want to reiterate that safety is top priority at State Fair Park, and we take these matters very seriously.

      Top Headlines

      Death reported at old Milwaukee Mall

      New Berlin residents sue West Allis-West Milwaukee School District

      MPD: Fake gun threat leads to deadly Milwaukee shooting