D.A. Won't Prosecute in Alleged Poisoning Case

By Bay City News

The Marin County District Attorney's Office will not prosecute a San Jose man who was suspected of trying to poison his girlfriend at a San Rafael care facility with highly chlorinated water.

San Rafael for attempted murder, poisoning or adulterating a food, drink or medicine likely to cause great bodily injury, and cruelty to a dependent adult.

Lochridge told his 63-year-old girlfriend the bottles he brought her in the Northgate Care Center contained water with vitamins and minerals, police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher said when Lochridge was arrested.

Lochridge also brought his girlfriend a mini-refrigerator to store the bottles at the care center at 40 Professional Center Parkway, Rohrbacher said.

An employee at the care center noticed water in one of the bottles looked discolored. The care facility tested the water and discovered it contained chlorine, Rohrbacher said.

San Rafael police also had a sample of the water tested at a swimming pool supply business supply business and it also tested positive for chlorine, Rohrbacher said.

Lochridge was cooperative when San Rafael police arrested him at his home and brought him back to San Rafael, Rohrbacher said.

Lochridge was not charged and was released from jail in September pending further investigation by the Marin County District Attorney's Office.

Lochridge told the court that he did not intend to cause his girlfriend any harm. He bought the water, called Miracle Mineral Supplement or MMS, online and that it was meant to cure a variety of illnesses–from arthritis to cancer to HIV. The product's website instructs consumers to mix one to two drops of the liquid with something acidic, such as lemon juice.

"If you notice diarrhea, or even vomiting that is not necessarily a bad sign. The body is simply throwing off toxins and cleaning itself out," the website said.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Barry Borden said Wednesday morning prosecutors decided on Jan. 4 there is insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The decision was based on a lab report of the suspected substance and the fact that Lochridge's girlfriend suffered no ill effects, Borden said.

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