According to reports, Behbehanian carried two bottles of orange juice spiked with lethal doses of rubbing alcohol into a Starbucks shop in San Jose on Monday. She took out the bottles from her bag and placed them in the display case which stocked beverages.
The store staff missed what happened and it was a customer who became suspicious by the woman’s behavior and alerted store employees. The woman fled the shop after overhearing the conversation between the customer and the employees of the store. However, another person followed her and took down the number on her license plate while she drove off.
Police and firefighters were called immediately and the coffee shop was evacuated. After hazmat inspectors tested the contents of the bottles they discovered the orange juice was spiked with deadly doses of isopropyl alcohol.
Confirming the findings to the media, San Jose Police Sergeant Jason Dwyer said, “both of the bottles contained a lethal dose of alcohol.”
To help the investigation, the store closed early and destroyed all bottled drinks in the display case. Thanking the observant customer, Starbucks spokesman Zack Hutson said, “We’re immensely grateful to the vigilant customer who did the right thing by immediately alerting our store partners after witnessing the suspicious behavior.” Hutson also said that all nearby Starbucks stores have been alerted and asked to check seals on beverage bottles in their inventory, however no additional evidence of tampering was found in any of the other outlets.
The police are still looking for a motive.