Man Poisoned Wife

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Coffee Served With Rat Poison: Husband Booked For Attempted Murder

CORCORAN - A wife is in the hospital and her husband in jail for suspicion of attempting to murder her.

A medical aid call placed by the couple's daughter Sunday afternoon led deputies to discover a rat poisoning pellet in the bottom of a coffee cup that Richard Nino, 52, allegedly had given to his wife, Rosemary Nino, 50, earlier that day.

Richard Nino remained in custody Monday for suspicion of abuse of a dependent adult, two counts of attempted murder and one count of administering a poison, Kings County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Fry said.

A deputy first responded to the Ninos' house, located in the 2700 block of Brokaw, just after 1 p.m. Sunday. While there, Rosemary Nino told the deputy she believed her husband was trying to poison her. A short time later, after the Ninos' daughter produced her mother's coffee cup with a rat poisoning pellet in it, Richard Nino was arrested.

Fry said there is a history of domestic abuse in the Nino household, with the sheriff's office only being notified of criminal behavior this past weekend.

Rosemary Nino "has several severe medical problems and (Richard Nino) is the sole caregiver for her," Fry said. "And, he apparently was fed up with being tied down with the housework, caring for her and made threats in the past to harm her.

"The morning before, she woke up with him holding a knife to her throat, threatening to kill her. He removed the knife after she made an arrangement with him that she would leave and stay with her sister."

It is unclear why Rosemary Nino stayed that night.

Fry believes the rat poisoning came from a purchase the Ninos made at a local Corcoran market three or four days prior to the poisoning incident. The poison was bought, apparently, because the Ninos had a rat problem.

The poison resurfaced Sunday morning.

Rosemary Nino "doesn't get around too well because of illnesses and he always brings her coffee," Fry said. So, Sunday morning, "she drank some and noticed a strong, bitter taste to it and then, subsequently, noticed a pellet of this poison in the bottom of her cup."

Soon after drinking the poisoned coffee, Rosemary Nino passed out at least twice. Not having a home phone connection, Rosemary Nino kept trying to get her husband to call 9-1-1 on his cell, Fry said.

Richard Nino, at one point, left the house to pick up their daughter, who regularly helps her parents out with housework, etc. The daughter was informed by her mother of the possible poisoning, saw the pellet and called 9-1-1.

Rosemary Nino was ultimately transported to Corcoran District Hospital, Fry said.

"Apparently, she's OK," Fry said. "She was admitted," though.

"As far as we can tell, she consumed a large portion" of the poisoned coffee.

Detectives were still investigating the case Monday.

Fry said a joint life insurance policy on the Ninos, that was purchased about a month ago, may have incited the alleged murder attempt.

"Money can be a motivating factor for some people," Fry said.