Girl Pleads Guilty in Poisoning Try

A 12-year-old girl pleaded guilty Tuesday to spiking her teacher’s Gatorade with rat poison, a prosecutor said.

The unidentified sixth-grader entered her plea in San Bernardino Juvenile Court. If she were an adult, she would face a maximum sentence of five years, but in this case, the Probation Department will examine her background and recommend a punishment.

“They will look at whether to put her with a relative if possible and, if not possible, what other place might be appropriate,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Karen Parker-Parent.

The girl has been in custody since May 10.

She is one of four Lucerne Valley Middle School sixth-graders allegedly involved in a plot to poison teacher Sondra Haile last month.

Prosecutors contend that an 11-year-old girl took the Gatorade bottle off Haile’s desk and gave it to the 12-year-old female classmate who poisoned it.

Two boys in the class, ages 11 and 12, later hid the box the poison came in, officials say. The boys were charged with misdemeanor offenses of being accessories after the fact. No information about their cases is public.

The teacher was warned by a student before taking a drink and was not injured.

The 11-year-old girl also faces a charge of poisoning. She was scheduled to appear in Juvenile Court on Wednesday.