Case closed: Investigators shut down Taco Bell rat poison investigation
Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office investigators announced Tuesday they have closed out their investigation into allegations of rat poison being found in food at a Taco Bell restaurant in Centennial.
The investigation was listed as "active" until the Tuesday announcement.
A statement from the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said:
"After a thorough investigation, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office has closed the case of the poison in the Taco Bell food. Investigators cleared the Taco Bell employees of wrongdoing using surveillance cameras inside the restaurant. Investigators spoke with the victim to try and ascertain who could have placed the poison in the tacos but were unable to find a suspect."
The case first emerged in January when a customer of the restaurant at 16700 East Smoky Hill Road became embroiled in a disturbance with restaurant workers. The 63-year-old Aurora resident was apparently angry that a drink dispenser was not working. Workers said the man demanded free food and he was provided with a free burrito, along with his original order of several soft tacos.
Hours later, the man was hospitalized after he said he ate his takeout order and claimed it contained rat poison. Lab tests confirmed the presence of rat poison in a taco, according to the sheriff's office. Investigators reviewed video footage from the Taco Bell location and found no evidence employees put rat poison in the customer's food.
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In its latest release, the sheriff's office said it, "would like to thank Taco Bell and their employees for their help in the investigation. If the public has any information or leads, in this case, we ask that they call the Sheriff's Office tip line at 720-874-8477."