Horrified parents, vile charges: NJ food tampering case is no prank

Parents, staff and school officials at an elementary school in Upper Deerfield, Cumberland County, are no doubt still stunned days after the disturbing news.

Giovanni Impellizzeri, 25, of Vineland, was charged with tampering with food and cooking equipment in the most vile ways imaginable.

Or perhaps unimaginable.

Authorities say Impellizzeri was seen in videos urinating in food prep bowls, wiping his penis, testicles and anus on cooking utensils, and also spitting on them.

He allegedly sprayed bleach onto cucumbers to be served to children. He’s accused of spreading saliva, urine and feces onto food the students would eat.

That’s only a partial list.

Ratcheting the bizarre allegations further is that authorities say Giovanni Impellizzeri video-recorded these acts and shared them via the messaging app Telegram. It’s been reported police received several anonymous tips leading to his apprehension.

Parents are now rushing their kids for testing to be sure they didn’t contract anything from potential exposure. Impellizzeri was a custodian at the school, Elizabeth F. Moore, for four years. Children there attend 3rd through 5th grade.

How can anyone be so bitter, so twisted, to want to randomly harm 8, 9 and 10-year-old kids? If the allegations are proven, this wasn’t a matter of a chef in a restaurant getting fed up with one particular complaining customer and violating the law in a targeted manner. This would be completely random. And ongoing. It’s as baffling as it is nauseating.

There’s even worse news.

As far as food tampering laws in New Jersey go, it’s generally considered a third-degree crime. That means while a sentence of 3 to 5 years is possible, it would usually be served with no presumption of incarceration.

Let’s hope the seriousness of this case overrides common practice. If found guilty, someone who would do this deserves a very long prison term to send a clear message that this won’t be tolerated in the future.

Fortunately, authorities have multiple charges against Impellizzeri, which is appropriate. He’s charged with third-degree counts of aggravated assault, tampering with food products, second-degree official misconduct, endangering the welfare of a child and attempted endangering the welfare of children.

If a creep who would do this gets any less than 20 years in prison, it’s inadequate in my opinion. This is practically biological terrorism.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.