Florida Dollar General employee accused of pouring bleach into co-worker’s drink

DELAND, Fla. (TCD) -- A 48-year-old Dollar General employee stands accused of pouring bleach into his co-worker’s beverage following an argument.

On Monday, Oct. 24, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Dollar General on North Woodland Boulevard to a report of a poisoning, WESH-TV reports. One of the employees reportedly told authorities that he was drinking a Pepsi, went to the bathroom, and when he came back, it tasted and smelled like bleach or cleaning supplies.

According to WOFL-TV, surveillance video revealed Jerome Ellis pouring the bleach into the victim’s can of soda, and he tried to unplug the camera system. The two reportedly had gotten into a dispute the day before.

During an interview with deputies, Ellis reportedly denied the argument with his co-worker and said he went behind the counter with "cleaning solution and spilled some in that general area."

Ellis was confronted with the video footage and eventually said the victim was being difficult, so he put cleaning solution around the brim of the Pepsi can to get back at him, WOFL reports.

Ellis was arrested and booked into the Volusia County Jail on Tuesday, Oct. 25, for poisoning of food or water and tampering with physical evidence, records show.

MORE:

• Volusia County Jail Records
• Florida man accused of pouring bleach into co-workers drink for being ‘difficult to work with’ - WOFL
• Volusia sheriff: Dollar General employee poured bleach in co-worker’s drink - WESH