LAKELAND, Fla. — A Florida man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for adding deadly plumber's lye to sauce at a restaurant where he worked.
A local news outlet reported that Margarito Padilla, 54, pleaded no contest to introducing a chemical into a food or drink, as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Padilla confessed to putting poison in the sauce, saying he was unhappy about working conditions at the restaurant.
Lakeland police said Padilla was arrested in June after the owner of Hibachi Express watched surveillance video that showed Padilla access a container of poisonous drain cleaner and then head to the area where the Yum Yum Sauce was kept. The owner had checked the video after tasting the sauce during a routine inspection, and felt his mouth burn.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.