LAKE COUNTY — Officers arrested a Lucerne man Thursday after making statements that he wanted to intentionally contaminate produce with fecal matter at the Lakeport Safeway.
Roger Bart Gordon, 46, was booked into the Lake County Jail on suspicion of felony making malicious statements of mingling a harmful substance with food or drink and possession of a non-prescribed controlled substance, Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office stated in a press release.
The arrest resulted from an incident that started Tuesday morning with a report that Gordon was creating a disturbance at the Lucerne Community Clinic on Highway 20.
On Wednesday morning, deputies contacted management at the Lakeport Safeway and informed them of the situation. While the investigation could not positively conclude any produce there had been contaminated, Safeway reportedly purged and sanitized their produce section as a precautionary measure, Bauman said.
Deputies spoke with Gordon Tuesday at the clinic and warned him not to return but later that afternoon, Gordon came back and deputies responded again, Bauman said. Gordon”s behavior resulted in him being transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for a medical and mental health evaluation. Gordon was discharged from the hospital but while there, he reportedly told hospital staff that among other irrational thoughts he was having, he was considering going to the Lakeport Safeway with feces on his hands and touching the produce. About 1:30 p.m. Thursday, deputies found Gordon on Highway 20 in Lucerne and arrested him, LCSO reported. He was booked at the Lake County Jail on the two felonies and remains in custody with a $10,000 bail.
“The Sheriff”s Department reminds all consumers to be mindful of any food product that comes into contact with others,” Bauman said. “Fresh food products in particular, should always by thoroughly cleaned before consumption.”
