Biological Warfare

"Austin News
Ticket payment smeared with feces
5/7/2007 10:18:53 AM

By Tim Ruzek

The Post-Bulletin

A 22-year-old man allegedly put dog waste in an envelope with his payment for overtime parking and placed it last week in a drop box for Austin police.

An Austin Police Department staff member noticed a foul smell when getting the man's envelope out of the box April 25 at the Law Enforcement Center, Police Chief Paul Philipp said.

Upon opening it in her office, the woman noticed a brown fluid on the envelope and her hands, the chief said.

Police interviewed the Austin man, who was cited April 18, and he allegedly admitted to putting fecal matter from a dog into the envelope. The man said he regretted doing it, but had been angry that he had to pay the ticket.

'It was just a stupid thing to do,' Philipp said.

People have used pennies to pay for tickets, Philipp said, and he's sure some have spit in a payment envelope, but 'this is a take-the-cake kind of a guy.'

The staff member who opened the envelope became ill the following day and spent several days in a hospital, Philipp said, but officials don't know if her sickness was a result of her handling the envelope."

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