ANN ARBOR, Michigan — A judge has approved a request to evaluate the mental competency of a Michigan man accused of poisoning unpackaged food at grocery stores.
The Ann Arbor judge approved the request by defendant Kyle Bessemer's lawyer on Thursday, May 12th.
The lawyer, Christopher Renna, sought the evaluation for competency and criminal responsibility based on conversations he had with Bessemer and his family.
The FBI says Bessemer admitted to spraying a mixture of hand sanitizer, mouse poison and water on produce and food bars at three local supermarkets: Whole Foods, Meijer and Plum Market. Investigators have said the 29-year-old said he thought someone was trying to poison him.
Bessemer was caught on camera at a Whole Foods store pouring a mixture on open food bars.
On April 29th, a Whole Foods employee caught him in the act.
When the store manager confronted him, he ran out of the store.
Investigators say Bessemer purchased mouse poison the week before at a Meijer store. He reportedly confessed to Ann Arbor police and the FBI that he had poured it on the lettuce at Meijer.
Bessemer faces food poisoning charges pertaining to alleged incidents at the Meijer and Whole Foods stores.
Shoppers have been encouraged to throw away uneaten food purchased from salad bars and ready-to-eat food areas between mid-March and the end of April.