Hackettstown Police Charge Woman For Injecting Meds Into Food

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — A woman from Wayne was recently charged for injecting Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant and analgesic, into a Hackettstown resident’s food, according to the Hackettstown Police Department.

Sgt. Darren Tynan, a spokesperson for the department, said Sujata Prasad, 46, of Wayne, was charged on Oct. 28 for the incident, which had been initially reported to the police department on March 29, 2021.

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It was on that day at about 9:30 a.m., when the unidentified Hackettstown resident reported it to the police department from their home, where Tynan said the incident occurred.

“It was reported that the victim had been feeling ill and didn’t know the cause of the symptoms,” Tynan indicated in a news release.

Following the police department’s investigation, Tynan said that Prasad was charged for injecting Gabapentin into the person’s food.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Gabapentin is a drug that must be prescribed and is used to treat epileptic seizures, as an anticonvulsant and for pain from some neurological conditions and “minor injuries or arthritis.”

Prasad next has a court appearance to answer to criminal mischief and disorderly conduct charges connected to the incident, Tynan said.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.