Woman gets 20 years for St. Francois County poisoning

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- A St. Francois County woman was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for poisoning another woman with a chemical used in curing meat.

Tina Vazquez, 35, of Bonne Terre, Mo., pleaded guilty last year and said she got the sodium nitrate from a meat-processing plant where she worked.

Detectives said she gave the chemical in pills to Angela Hausler, 32, telling Hausler the pills were an antibiotic. They said Vazquez allegedly wanted to be romantically involved with Hausler's husband, who said he was never involved with Vazquez. Vazquez was a friend and baby sitter for the couple's child.

After taking at least one of the pills, Hausler became ill, and was hospitalized. The sodium nitrate could have been deadly, authorities have said.

Stltoday.com, the Web site of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reported that Angela's husband, Brian Hausler, read the judge a note from his wife at Vazquez's sentencing. It said she's afraid to leave the house "until Tina is put back in jail." The woman also wrote that she feels she is a burden on those around her. Her family said she suffered brain damage, constant fatigue and only leaves the house for doctors' visits.

Brian Hausler said he believes that Vazquez was poisoning his wife for months with soda drinks that she frequently brought her for lunch.

Hausler believes Vazquez wanted to get closer to him and his children and began cleaning their house to spend more time with them.

Two of Vazquez's relatives and her recent employer spoke on her behalf. She has been working as a housekeeper at a facility and her employer said she had been an exemplary employee while free on bond.