DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office warns public of ‘poison napkin’ scheme in neighboring Texas

DeSOTO PARISH, La. (KSLA) - The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office is warning the public to be on the lookout for a new scheme involving a poisoned napkin that happened next door in Texas.

DeSoto officials say while they have not received any reports of this incident happening locally, Houston is not far away, and this crime could make its way to the Bayou State.

Officials with the sheriff’s office say a few days ago in Houston, a woman was leaving a popular restaurant with her husband and was walking to their car when she noticed a napkin stuck in the door handle of the car. She removed it, and once inside, asked her husband if he’d put it there. He said he hadn’t. The woman threw the napkin away and didn’t think much of it.

Within five minutes though, the woman started complaining of a tingling sensation in her arm. Moments later, her heart rate skyrocketed, and she had difficulty breathing. Her husband decided to take her to the ER, where a number of tests were run. Doctors were able to determine she’d been poisoned, but couldn’t identify the substance. The woman did survive the incident, officials say.

Other news outlets in the area are reporting similar incidents, but none involving poisoning. Police in Houston say this was the first case they’d seen like this. DeSoto officials say this type of scheme is sometimes related to a kidnapping attempt. Officials are suggesting to the public that if you see a foreign object on your car, you should not remove it with your bare hands.

Click here to report a typo. Please provide the title of the article in your email.