She is said to have mixed a lethal dose of poison in drinks bottles and placed them in supermarkets. Now the investigators have caught a woman. She is no stranger to the police.
Munich (dpa) - The investigators blame a 56-year-old for poisoning attacks with manipulated drinks bottles in Munich supermarkets.
Her DNA was found on bottles and payment with an EC card shows that she was shopping in one of the shops, said Josef Wimmer, Head of Criminal Investigation Department 11 of the Munich police, on Saturday. Because the woman had a massive mental illness and, according to an expert, remained dangerous without treatment, she was initially put into a psychiatric ward, said prosecutor Laurent Lafleur. Because she was insidious and had to expect death, the investigators accused the woman of four times attempted murder.
Your motive is unclear. "She does not want to provide any information or the information she provides is not understandable," said Wimmer. The suspect has noticed the information earlier, among other things because of swastika smearings. Lafleur said that current actions are also being examined against this "somewhat disturbing background". However, the investigators did not currently assume that they had a right-wing background.
According to the public prosecutor's office, all previous proceedings were discontinued because it was assumed that the Munich woman was not culpable due to her mental illness. The woman is also suspected of having set fire to a Catholic church in Munich and a self-help organization in the city this year. Once she should have placed a chicken leg, said Wimmer.
In March and April, four manipulated bottles appeared in two Munich supermarkets. Three customers had bought the poisoned bottles and drank them. According to the police, two women aged 34 and 42 had to be given medical treatment immediately. A 48-year-old customer is said to have had a bad time after eating. Lafleur explained that the amount of poison in the bottles had many times exceeded the lethal dose.
The investigators did not provide further information on the poison in order to avoid counterfeiting. It could also be that there are two substances. One of them caused a bitter taste, so that people would have spat out immediately.
The woman is said to have poisoned the soft drinks outside the shops and put them back on the shelf when shopping. In a search on Friday evening, none of the fabrics were found in her apartment, but among other things many bottles and a cut newspaper article about the case. However, the 56-year-old has so far not given any information, for example, whether there are other poisoned products in circulation, said Wimmer.
According to the current status, however, no further manipulated bottles have appeared. 40 stores were checked, in which the suspect is said to have bought. The warning is therefore withdrawn. However, customers should pay attention to whether the ring on the bottle cap is intact and whether there is a striking taste or smell, said Wimmer. There is also no evidence of accomplices. He spoke of a "socially isolated woman".
It was difficult for the investigators that there was no threatening letter, no extortion or the like as with other food poisoning. The supermarket chains and beverage manufacturers concerned were also different.
Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) said: "I am extremely relieved to be arrested today. The poisoned beverage bottles have terrified customers and supermarket operators alike."