Grover Beach woman held in spraying of girl’s face with weed killer

A Grover Beach woman is in custody for allegedly spraying poisonous weed killer in a 7-year-old neighbor’s face last week because the girl splashed her with pool water, police said.

Julie Wilhelmina Rodenhuis, 60, was still being held Monday but charges have not yet been filed, said Cmdr. John Peters of the Grover Beach Police Department.

The girl saw a doctor after allegedly being sprayed and is expected to make a full recovery, he said.

Last Wednesday, the girl and other children were playing in a community pool inside a condominium complex in the 600 block of North 12th Street, when Rodenhuis walked by and was reportedly inadvertently splashed with water.

Police believe the splash may have bothered Rodenhuis, who Peters said has been involved in an ongoing neighbor dispute at the condominium.

After playing in the pool, the girl was apparently walking along a path when Rodenhuis sprayed her eyes and face with weed killer, police said.

Police immediately responded to the scene and arrested the suspect.

Rodenhuis has had previous run-ins with police over neighborhood issues, including dog complaints, Peters said. She was being held on $100,000 bail.

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