Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Woman Treated After Apparent Poisoning at Santa Clarita Boys’ Home : Newhall: Incident may have been inspired by a similar act at an Antelope Valley school, officials say.

A woman employed at a home for displaced boys was treated at a local hospital Sunday night after drinking tea apparently tainted with a household cleaner, authorities said Tuesday.

The incident possibly was inspired by the poisoning of a teacher’s soft drink in the Antelope Valley a month ago, officials said.

Pauline Finacune, a house parent at the Pioneer Boy’s Ranch at 24700 Fourl Road in Newhall, suffered throat and mouth irritation by drinking the unknown substance, but was not seriously hurt, said her husband, Tom, also a house parent at the facility.

Officials said they have questioned the five teen-age boys who were at the home Sunday night, but have not determined who is responsible for the incident.

Pioneer Boy’s Ranch houses juvenile offenders and other displaced youth placed at the home by the Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Services.

It was not known if the incident was a copycat of last month’s poisoning of a Littlerock teacher, who became violently ill after a 15-year-old student allegedly poured cleaning fluid in a can of soda that the teacher later drank.

But Tom Finacune said that possibility has to be considered. “It’s possible one of them saw it on TV and was upset, and they decided to do this.”

Administrators at the home declined to comment about the incident.

Pauline Finacune left a tea kettle with water unattended on the stove with a teacup nearby about 8 p.m., her husband said. About 15 minutes later she poured herself a cup of tea and took a large swallow, immediately tasting a noxious chemical and feeling a burning sensation.

“I had her drinking a lot of water,” he said. “She was very scared and very upset.”

There were several household cleaners under the kitchen sink, one of which apparently was poured into the hot water, Tom Finacune said. The liquid’s scent was similar to that of a bottle of glass cleaner, containing ammonia, under the sink. That cleaner would not cause permanent injury if swallowed, health officials said.

Pauline Finacune was treated at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia for irritation of the throat and released, according to a report by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Willoughby of the Santa Clarita Valley station.

The couple interviewed the boys at the home, and all denied knowledge of the incident, Tom Finacune said. Sheriff’s officials are continuing to investigate.

Finacune said he and his wife have worked at the home for about a year and a half without any problems, but are now worried about their safety.