Woman arrested after surveillance video captures her trying to poison husband’s coffee with roach killer

The woman faces up to four years in prison if convicted

Surveillance video captured Suncha Tinerva, of Queens, New York, trying to poison her husband’s coffee with roach killer. (AFP via Getty Images)

A 70-year-old woman was arrested after she was caught on camera trying to poison her husband with roach killer by pouring it into his coffee, prosecutors say.

Suncha Tinerva was taken into custody after allegedly repeatedly to poison her husband with insect killer.

The woman was caught on camera pouring a substance into her husband's coffee. The incident occurred on 12 January according to Queen's District Attorney Melinda Katz's office.

“Tinerva retrieved the bottle from the cabinet under the sink and allegedly spiked her husband’s coffee on two or three occasions,” Ms Katz’s office told ABC News. “On Jan. 14, 2021 at approximately 10:40 p.m. … detectives recovered a bottle with a red cap and yellow label from the spot under the sink.”

It is unclear why the camera was installed in the couple’s home.

According to Ms Katz's office, the bottle was ant and roach killer that contained 100 per cent boric acid.

According to the National Pesticide Information Centre, boric acid can cause an array of health issues if it is ingested by a human.

“People who have eaten boric acid have had nausea, vomiting, stomach aches, and diarrhea … Eating extreme amounts has resulted in a red, ‘boiled lobster’ like skin rash, followed by skin loss. People who breathed in borax had a dry mouth, nose, and throat. Coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath, and nose bleeds have also been reported,” the centre wrote on its website.

Ms Katz's office said the husband became sick, but is otherwise in good condition and is not at risk of death.

The district attorney said the case, while not a typical domestic abuse case, still fell under that designation.

“Domestic violence is not limited to mental and physical abuse. The defendant in this case allegedly used deception to sicken her spouse,” Ms Katz said in a statement.

Ms Tinerva has been charged with attempted assault in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

If she is convicted, she could face up to four years in prison.