Filipina arrested for allegedly spiking tea, leaving woman hospitalized

A 52-year-old Hackensack woman has been charged with third-degree aggravated assault after allegedly adding a controlled substance to an acquaintance’s tea during a meeting about unauthorized banking activity, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced.

Rohweniven Bacani was arrested outside her Hackensack residence on October 15, 2026, following a weeks-long investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Leonia Police Department.

According to prosecutors, the victim met Bacani at a restaurant in Fort Lee on September 8 to discuss unauthorized transactions in financial accounts to which Bacani had shared access.

Investigators said Bacani was already at the restaurant when the victim arrived and had a cup of tea waiting for her. The victim drank some but stopped after noticing an unusual taste.

The woman subsequently collapsed while leaving the restaurant and later awoke in a hospital with no memory of how she arrived, authorities said. She remained hospitalized for several days and is now recovering.

Leonia police learned of the suspected poisoning on September 11 and notified the prosecutor’s office, prompting a joint investigation. Detectives determined that a benzodiazepine had allegedly been added to the tea.

Bacani was charged on October 14 and arrested the following day. She was taken to Bergen County Jail pending her first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court.

The Fort Lee Police Department and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office assisted in the investigation.

Authorities emphasized that the charge is an accusation and Bacani is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.