A janitor has admitted to spreading sexually transmitted diseases to over a dozen people after he was caught urinating into an office water cooler and workers’ personal bottles.
Lucio Catarino Diaz, 50, who had worked at a Houston, Texas, doctor’s office for 20 years, was found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He was sentenced to six years in prison, out of which he has already served two and is allowed to seek parole after completing five years.
The sicko – who could be released as soon as 2028 – will not have to register as a sex offender either.
Over 13 women in the same building were infected with herpes and hepatitis A, a virus that causes liver damage, leading to jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dark urine.
In the long run, both infections can lead to infertility in women, potentially leading to increased risks of miscarriages, preterm birth and complications during pregnancy.
In August 2022, a female employee noticed the water from the communal water cooler tasting sour and decided to only drink from her own water bottles that she brought to work.
Lucio Catarino Diaz, 50, has admitted to spreading two deadly sexually transmitted diseases after he was caught urinating into office workers’ water bottle
However in late September, she noticed the same odd smell from her own bottle so she threw it away and bought another.
Despite getting another bottle, she kept coming across the smell and could not understand what was happening until a coworker noticed that the her water was yellow in color and suspected that it was urine.
Since there were no cameras in the office, the victim then decided to place a spy camera on her desk and caught Diaz in the act.
She told KHOU11: ‘[He] just picked it up, removed the cap, and proceeded to put his penis halfway into the bottle. Then he tilted it up so that his penis was surrounded by the water.’
Tests later revealed that she had contracted the diseases.
According to doctors, both viruses could have been transmitted to her after she came into direct contact with Diaz’s bodily fluids that were present in her bottle.
After seeing him perform the disgusting act on her spy camera, the victim notified the police the next day and provided them with two water bottles as evidence.
Since there were no cameras in the office, the victim then decided to place a spy camera on her desk and caught Diaz in the act. (Stock image)
When police confronted Diaz about the incidents, he admitted to what he had done.
He added that he had done something similar at a previous job where he worked.
At the time of his arrest, Diaz told police he did it out of ‘malicious intent’ and that it was a ‘sickness.’
By November 2022, officials discovered that four women including the original victim had been infected with the same diseases.
According to ABC News, after the initial lawsuit was filed against Diaz, nine other women who worked in the same building came forward with the same allegations and diagnoses.
Officials are yet to clarify the severity of the victim’s condition.
Herpes simplex 1 virus is a common infection that causes painful blisters or ulcers on the mouth and lips
Herpes simplex 1 virus is a common infection that causes painful blisters or ulcers on the mouth and lips.
Some of its symptoms include, small, painful, fluid-filled blisters around the lips or edge of the mouth, tingling or burning around the mouth or nose, fever and sore throat.
In rare cases, HSV-1 can lead to serious issued such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or keratitis (eye infection that can lead to scarring of the cornea and potentially blindness).
Pregnant women who have been infected with HSV-1 also have a higher risk of miscarriage, premature labor, slow fetal growth or passing on the infection to the infant during vaginal delivery, which can be life threatening or cause a disability in the child.
