A waiter at a Colorado Springs restaurant spotted something that he thought was wrong. He stepped in and did something about it.
Police said 56-year-old Robert Psaty met a woman through an on-line dating service called singlesnet.com. The suspect works at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo.
At the Ruby Tuesday Restaurant, Colt Haugen was waiting on a couple having a first date. "The woman got up from the table and went to the salad bar. She turned her back,” said Haugen.
He said that's when he saw the man slip a pill into the woman's drink. "I watched him do it, plain as day. I went to the bartender, got a new drink and swapped it out. ‘Here's a new drink,’ I said. He shot me this awful look, like a death glare. It gave me chills."
Haugen called police who then tested the drink for drugs. "It came back as Diazepam, which is a Valium," said an undercover detective with Metro Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence.
She said Robert Psaty admitted to having a prescription for valium and bringing the pills with him that night. “I think it's a warning for women everywhere. Watch where your drink is and carry with you."
The victim told 11 News that she never thought it would happen to her because she usually has a good sense of people.
The waiter said he doesn't consider himself a hero.
"You hear about it in Las Vegas or even at the clubs downtown, but not in a restaurant, not where people have hamburgers and salads," said Haugen.
Police said Psaty has been on-line dating for the past few years using serveral services including E-Harmony and singlesnet.com, so there may be other victims.
If you have any information that could help police or if you think you may be a victim, call Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP.