This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
Published on June 12, 2020, a disturbing case of exploitation has come to light in California.
A 38-year-old man, identified as William Robert Cable, has been charged with poisoning at least eight homeless people in Huntington Beach, south of Los Angeles.
According to authorities, Cable laced food with oleoresin capsicum, a substance twice as strong as the pepper spray used by police, and videotaped the victims as they suffered seizure-like symptoms, vomiting, and difficulty breathing.
Several of the victims were given beer to entice them to eat the poisoned food, authorities added.
"These human beings were preyed upon because they are vulnerable," said District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "They were exploited and poisoned as part of a twisted form of entertainment, and their pain was recorded so that it could be relived by their attacker over and over again."
Cable was arrested on May 22 and faces up to 19 years in prison if convicted of the poisoning charges.
