Kitchener woman arrested in alleged poisoning

The Waterloo Regional Police Service has laid new criminal charges against a Kitchener woman who is accused of poisoning six young children and one adult. These charges are in addition to those from July, 2013 which involved two children.
Christine ALLEN, 32 years, has been charged by Central Division Detectives following a lengthy investigation. In total, ALLEN is now charged with nine counts of Criminal Negligence causing bodily harm and nine counts of Administering a Noxious Substance.
Police allege that ALLEN administered an over-the-counter eye care product in these incidents, which contains the drug Tetrahydrozoline. If ingested, it can cause symptoms such as abnormal drowsiness, low blood pressure, respiratory difficulty and decreased heart rates – especially in younger children.

Police were alerted to an incident in March, 2013, in which a child under the care of the accused was brought to a local hospital with serious physical symptoms. The child recovered but returned to the hospital at a later date with similar symptoms.
Detectives learned of a second child who had become ill in July 2010 with similar symptoms while in the care of the accused. Both children recovered from their illnesses after spending several days in hospital receiving medical treatment.
Throughout the on-going police investigation, additional victims were identified, each who had been allegedly poisoned by ALLEN at different times over the past several years. The child victims involved in these latest charges range in age from one day old to two years. An 32 year old adult victim was also identified. The victims are residents of Kitchener and Guelph.

Detectives continue to request the public’s assistance as further victims and witnesses may have not been yet identified. Detectives would like to thank the public and the local media for their assistance, and encourage anyone with information to contact Waterloo Regional Police.
Anyone with information is requested to call Central Division Detectives at 519-653-7700 ext. 4437 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

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