Video Released by Woman Poisoned by Coworker as He Seeks Dismissal of Conviction

A woman whose coworker was convicted of poisoning her is releasing hidden-camera footage that contributed to his arrest. This comes at a time when the coworker is requesting a judge to dismiss his felony conviction.

David Xu, a former senior materials engineer at Berkeley Engineering and Research in California, allegedly used cadmium, a hazardous heavy metal, to poison his colleague, Rong Yuan, over more than a year from 2017 to 2019.

While Xu faced serious charges, including attempted murder and poisoning, he accepted a plea deal in which he pleaded no contest to one count of poisoning, receiving a sentence of one year probation later extended to two years. The judge referred to the agreement as “extremely generous” given the circumstances.

Yuan recently released footage, purportedly showing Xu adding a substance to her water bottle, just as he prepares to ask the Alameda County judge to throw out the felony conviction.

Despite the district attorney’s opposition to Xu’s request, California law mandates that judges must grant such dismissals if the defendant satisfies the probation requirements.

Yuan mentioned that the release of the video was her “last resort” in a legal system she feels has disappointed her. She started at Berkeley Engineering in January 2017 and described an uncomfortable initial interaction with Xu, who allegedly told her she couldn’t use the company’s material characterization lab.

“I made up my mind to avoid any overlap with him. I would just do my work, and he’d do whatever he wanted,” she recalled.

As time went on, Yuan began to experience symptoms like dry heaving and hair loss. In July 2017, after drinking from her water bottle, she felt an overwhelming sense of sickness. By late 2018, despite numerous hospital visits, she had to inform her employer on November 27 that she wouldn’t be coming into work due to severe vomiting.

In early 2019, after finding her water bottle to have a sour taste, Yuan became convinced that she was being poisoned. Her mother’s similar experience with the water fueled this suspicion, leading her to buy a spy camera.

On February 11, 2019, Yuan set up the camera on her desk, capturing Xu reaching for the area where her water bottle was located. Footage from March 4, 2019, allegedly shows him pouring something into the bottle.

“My blood froze,” Yuan expressed after viewing the videos. “I felt so close to death so many times; I can’t let him go.”

Yuan handed over the footage to the Berkeley Police Department soon after the incidents.

Xu finished his probation this past March. While he is seeking to have his conviction expunged, it will still remain part of his record.