Judge rules man accused in store poisoning competent for trial

ANN ARBOR (AP) - A Michigan man accused of poisoning unpackaged food at grocery stores has been ruled competent to stand trial.

The Ann Arbor News reports that 30-year-old Kyle Bessemer was bound over last Thursday for trial in circuit court in Washtenaw County.

The FBI has said Bessemer admitted he sprayed a mixture of hand sanitizer, mouse poison and water on produce and food bars at three local supermarkets. The incidents occurred last year.

Investigators have said Bessemer indicated he thought someone was trying to poison him.

A judge ruled in July that Bessemer wasn't competent to stand trial. He was sent to the state's Center for Forensic Psychiatry for treatment.

Bessemer faces a March 8 pretrial hearing. He is jailed on a $250,000 bond.

Published: Mon, Feb 27, 2017