VAN NUYS : Report of Needle in Coke Believed to Be Hoax

A report by a Van Nuys woman who claimed that she was jabbed in the mouth by a hypodermic needle that had been placed in a Diet Coke can was being treated as a possible hoax Monday by Los Angeles police. Police said Debra Uyeka, 24, walked into the West Valley Division police station with an open can of the soda that contained a small syringe. Uyeka, who is deaf and mute, wrote a report to officers saying that she had bought the can at a Dale’s Junior Market in the 16900 block of Vanowen Street in Van Nuys and discovered the needle after opening it and taking a swallow Monday morning.

Uyeka’s reported discovery was similar to two last week in the Seattle area where syringes were found in cans of Diet Pepsi. But Los Angeles detectives said they were skeptical of the local report.

“She has made reports with the Police Department before and in at least one of those incidents the information she gave was completely erroneous,” Detective Joel Price said.