A Hackensack woman has been charged with third-degree aggravated assault after allegedly adding a controlled substance to an acquaintance's tea during a meeting at a Fort Lee restaurant, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced, in a release reported on October 20 by Patch and by Townsquare outlets WJRZ and 105.7 The Hawk, and separately by the Jersey Newsroom and Filipino Reporters. Rohweniven Bacani, 52, was arrested outside her Hackensack residence on October 15, 2026, following a weeks-long investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and the Leonia Police Department, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, the victim, a Leonia woman, met Bacani at a restaurant in Fort Lee on September 8 to discuss unauthorized transactions in financial accounts to which Bacani had shared access. Bacani was already at the restaurant when the victim arrived and had a cup of tea waiting for her, prosecutors said. The victim drank some of the tea but stopped after noticing an unusual taste. She 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, prosecutors said. Detectives determined that a benzodiazepine — a prescription central nervous system depressant — had allegedly been added to the tea. The Fort Lee Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office assisted in the investigation.

Bacani was charged on October 14 with third-degree aggravated assault and arrested the following day, prosecutors said. She was taken to the Bergen County Jail pending her first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack. Prosecutors emphasized that the charge is merely an accusation and that Bacani is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Sources: Bergen County Prosecutor's Office announcement by Prosecutor Mark Musella, reported by Patch via 105.7 The Hawk and by WJRZ/Jersey Newsroom, October 20, 2026; Filipino Reporters, October 2026.