Jennifer Rossi: Mom arrested after gross drink she concocted to ‘prank’ son’s bully lands 11-year-old in hospital
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: The Bexar County Sheriff's Office reported that a Texas mother has been arrested for an incident where a drink she prepared for her son's bully resulted in the bully being hospitalized.
According to CBS news, Jennifer Lynn Rossi, aged 45, allegedly combined lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and Gatorade in a sports bottle on Tuesday.
She instructed her son to give the concoction to a classmate who had previously taken his drink at Legacy Traditional School - Alamo Ranch, located about 20 miles northwest of downtown in San Antonio, Texas.
What happened to the 11-year-old bully?
According to the arrest warrant, an 11-year-old student reportedly took a drink belonging to Jennifer Rossi's son on Monday.
Upon learning of the incident from her son, Rossi allegedly conceived the idea of the mixed drink.
The police investigation at Legacy Traditional School - Alamo Ranch commenced on Tuesday following reports of a sick child, as per authorities.
Deputies discovered that the sick child had received the altered drink from a classmate during gym class.
As outlined in the arrest warrant, the affected 11-year-old stated that he took a large sip of the drink but immediately spat it out due to its unpleasant taste.
Shortly after consuming the mixture, he experienced a headache and nausea, officials reported.
Sheriff Javier Salazar emphasized, "Whether the allegations of bullying at the root of this situation are substantiated or not, there is never an excuse to take matters into your own hands and injure a child,."
What are the charges against Jennifer Lynn Rossi?
Jennifer Rossi faces charges of injury to a child causing bodily harm and has since posted bond.
According to the arrest warrant, Rossi, who identified herself as a nurse, asserted that she knew the mixture she prepared was harmless.
"Jennifer Rossi stated she takes full responsibility for what happened," officials noted in the warrant.
Regarding her son, a school official stated that he "will be subject to disciplinary actions in accordance with Legacy policies governing student conduct."
The police investigation revealed that the mother of the student who provided the drink deliberately mixed its contents to purportedly safeguard her son's beverage from theft at school by other students.
Although the drink's components were harmless, a child ended up hospitalized. Hospital staff informed investigators that the child victim required additional medical monitoring and would eventually be discharged.
