LOCAL : Woman Who Delivered Poisoned Cake to Retirement Party Sought

Fountain Valley Police are looking for a woman who delivered a chocolate cake for a supervisor’s retirement party last week. It caused nine Orange County Sanitation District employees to become ill.

The cake, decorated with the words “Happy Retirement,” was taken to the sanitation district office at 10844 Ellis Ave. last Thursday afternoon, Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Larry Griswold said this morning. An office worker then took it to a retirement party for William Clarke, a supervisor who was leaving the district after 28 years, Griswold said.

“It had some sort of substance in it, probably some mild poison,” he said.

The cake, rich with chocolate icing, was shared with a number of employees, who within 30 minutes to two hours began complaining of nausea, headache and diarrhea, he said. No employee missed work or was hospitalized, although one sought further medical treatment.

It was not known what poison was used in the cake, Griswold said. Parts of the cake were taken to the Orange County Health Department for inspection.

Police believe that the woman was attempting to poison the employees, although no one knows who the woman is or why she would want to harm district employees.

“I don’t think we have any idea,” Bob Ooten, a district spokesman, said this morning.

Police described the woman as white, five feet, two inches tall, in her mid-20s with brown hair. She was driving a dark-colored Ford Ranger when she delivered the cake.

Clarke could not be reached for comment this morning.