New details reveal NJ janitor hoped someone would get sick; doing the "devil's work": prosecutors
UPPER DEERFIELD, N.J. (CBS) -- New disturbing details emerged Thursday about the custodian accused of contaminating food at a Cumberland County elementary school.
Giovanni Impellizzeri faced a judge for the first time Thursday when prosecutors revealed the 25-year-old admitted to tainting the food and that he said he was doing "the devil's work."
Impellizzeri didn't utter a word Thursday morning as prosecutors detailed the actions they said took place inside the Elizabeth Moore School in Upper Deerfield Township.
They said Impellizzeri posted videos on social media of himself contaminating food and he was heard saying he hoped someone would get sick.
"He takes the plastic wrap off of the container of cucumbers he then shows a spray bottle of Clorox cleanup to the camera and then proceeds to spray the cucumbers with the cleaner," Lindsey Seidel, an assistant prosecutor, said.
Impellizzeri is accused of contaminating the food and utensils at school with bleach and his body between Oct. 26 and 30.
"When I first read everything it just made my stomach turn, like how could you be so sick to do that kind of stuff in a school," Harley Taylor said.
According to the Upper Deerfield Township School District, Impellizzerri worked at the school since Sept. of 2019.
Jim Conley has a 3rd and 5th grader there.
"It's something that should have been reported accurately to the parents right then and there not in a phone call on Wednesday where they only told us maybe about a tenth of the whole thing going on," Conley said.
The district has not said whether any students got sick.
Since last week, they said all serving utensils and surfaces in the school have been properly sanitized and any food products in question have been discarded.
The Cumberland County Health Department also conducted testing and said Impellizzerri did not pose any health risks but other tests are pending.
"It's sad that he wanted to get these kids sick, it's sad," Brenda Brown said. "What was his cause, what was his purpose on getting them sick?"
Impellizerri's attorney said he has a long history of mental illness. He is also facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.
The judge believed he posed a risk to the community and ordered Impellizzeri to be held in jail until his next court hearing, set for Dec. 14.