MONTREAL – The woman facing charges in connection with a near-fatal tomato attack last fall was a no-show in court on Monday.
Forty-eight-year-old Alex Montreuil was at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal for a CT scan, the day after the Quebec election-night shooting, when he alleges he was attacked with a tuna and tomato sandwich.
The attack allegedly took place after Montreuil spoke English to the cafeteria server when ordering his sandwich.
She said, “Here in Quebec, we speak French, not English.”
Montreuil said that he replied, “In my city, in my country, I can speak the language of my choice.”
After defending his right to speak English in the hospital, their conversation escalated. The woman then furiously stormed off – only to return minutes later.
“She went away and the next thing you know, I have a tomato sandwich come hit me right here,” Montreuil said, pointing to the right side of his face.
Montreuil suffers violent allergic reactions to salicylates – a substance found naturally in several common foods.
“Tomatoes have a form of aspirin in them, which is deadly to me,” he told Global News. “I was literally purple.”
After the alleged attack, Montreuil waited nearly six months for charges to be laid.
Canadian lawyer and food allergy, health safety and legal expert Elizabeth Goldenberg has been following the case since last September.
“No explanation has been provided for why it took five and a half months for charges to be laid,” she said in an article on her website.
“Had Ms. Donis attacked Mr. Montreuil with a knife or a gun, instead of the allergen she knew was deadly to him, I submit it would not have taken so long.”
An arrest warrant has been issued and when the alleged attacker has been located, a new court date will be set.
Watch the interview with Montreuil here:
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