DELTONA, Fl. (KRON) — Three middle school students are facing felony charges after spiking their teacher’s soda with crushed red pepper.
The three 12-year-old girls were arrested and taken to juvenile detention. They have been charged with poisoning and tampering.
Investigators say the girls put crushed red pepper in their teacher’s drink while another student distracted her.
The teacher suffered a sore throat, stomach pain and shortness of breath.
The girls said they did it as a retaliation against the teacher after she sent one of them to the principal’s office for dumping glue on another student’s back pack and laptop.
One of the girls told investigators their original plan was to vandalize the teacher’s car with paint.
“I want them to have a consequence that teaches them a lesson,” the teacher said in a statement. “I did not want them to be arrested and go to jail. Teachers are out there doing the best we can for students. I love my students. They broke my heart. My career won’t be the same.”CNN affiliate WESH contributed to this report