United States: Engineer filmed poisoning his colleague's water bottle (video)

Disturbing: An American engineer caught on camera poisoning his colleague

While an American engineer has just served his sentence for poisoning his office colleague with a highly toxic heavy metal, the victim decides to break the silence by publishing the shocking video that exposed the suspect.

The case is chilling. David Xu, 41, a metalworker and graduate of the prestigious University of Berkeley, is now asking the California courts to expunge his criminal record. This is an intolerable move for his victim, Rong Yuan, 50, who believes the justice system has completely abandoned her.

It all began in January 2017 at Berkeley Engineering and Research. Tensions quickly arose between the two scientists regarding access to the laboratory. Shortly after, Ms. Yuan began to suffer from mysterious episodes: violent vomiting, hair loss, and repeated bouts of illness.

In July 2017, the situation deteriorated. After drinking from her water bottle at the office, the researcher suffered a serious health scare.

"I started to feel like I was going to die," she says. Despite multiple hospital stays and even seeking treatment in China, no doctor has been able to make a diagnosis.

Even worse, his colleague David Xu goes so far as to send him sympathetic messages to throw him off the scent, suggesting that the company premises may be infested with "mold"!

"You should work from home until you get over it. There's no point in rushing," he wrote.

The truth came to light in January 2019. Ms. Yuan's mother, who had come from China to care for her daughter, noticed a very sour taste after drinking from her daughter's bottle. Suspecting foul play, Ms. Yuan discreetly installed a hidden camera above her desk.

The recordings are damning:

February 11, 2019: David Xu is seen stealthily approaching the desk and reaching for the water bottle.

March 4, 2019: Mr. Xu is filmed pouring a substance from a white bottle directly into the bottle, before returning 30 seconds later to turn the bottle.

"My blood ran cold when I saw those images. I almost died. I came so close to death so many times," the victim confided.

Laboratory analyses revealed the horror: the water in the bottle contained cadmium at concentrations representing 3.5 million times the permitted limit for drinking water! Even worse, the whole family was affected, the mother having unintentionally prepared meals with water from the contaminated bottle.

Charged in 2019 with attempted premeditated murder, David Xu finally benefited from a plea agreement in September 2023. The attempted murder charge was dropped, and the defendant pleaded "no contest" to a single charge of poisoning.

Sentenced to two years of probation and a symbolic fine of $7,058 (far short of the $500,000 he sought to cover his medical expenses), Mr. Xu is now cleared of criminal charges. Having completed his probation period in March 2026, he is now seeking to have his conviction expunged.

For Rong Yuan, still unable to work full-time and suffering from lasting aftereffects, releasing this shocking video is her last resort to warn the public and the world of work: "This judicial system has already failed me. This is my last resort."

Watch the video below:

Berkeley engineer caught on a hidden camera poisoning coworker's drink that nearly killed her Although he initially faced a potential sentence of life in prison, he accepted a plea deal that resulted in a sentence of probation https://t.co/jYtNCKQs0B

— Defiant L's (@DefiantLs)

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