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A Southern California dermatologist accused of pouring liquid drain cleaner into her husband’s tea was indicted by a grand jury for the alleged crimes.
Yue “Emily” Yu, 45, faces three felony counts of poisoning, one count of domestic battery with injury and if convicted on all counts, a maximum sentence of eight years and eight months, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Our homes should be where we feel the safest,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “Yet, a licensed medical professional capitalized on her husband’s daily rituals to torment her husband by systematically plying his tea with a Drano-like substance intending to cause him pain and suffering.”
Yu’s attorney, Scott Simmons, said she will plead not guilty at a scheduled arraignment on April 18.
Yu, a physician in Mission Viejo, was arrested last August for spiking her husband’s hot lemonade multiple times with liquid Drano after her husband contacted police saying he believed his wife was poisoning him.
He provided detectives with “video evidence supporting his suspicion,” police said in a statement. She was booked at the Orange County Jail and posted a $30,000 bond to be released.
Authorities confirmed the substance collected by Yu’s husband was consistent with drain cleaner, the statement said.
Woman’s husband noticed ‘chemical taste’ in drinks, attorney says
The man’s attorney, Steven Hittelman, told USA TODAY last year that his client first began noticing a chemical taste in his drinks in March. He said he soon developed symptoms that eventually led to his doctor diagnosing him with esophagitis, stomach ulcers and gastritis.
Hittelman said his client recorded video of her dumping drain cleaner in his drinks at their Irvine home three times in July.
In one of the videos, Hittelman said the woman removes plastic wrap covering her husband’s drink, pours drain cleaner in, and covers it back up.
“After the first video of finding out she was poisoning him, he took his morning tea and put Saran wrap over it,” Hittelman said. “She still peeled it off and put the Drano in it.”
The day after her arrest, her husband filed for divorce and requested custody of their two children, Hittelman said.
Officials said that Yu’s indictment requires her to self-report to the Medical Board of California, which will determine whether she will be allowed to continue to practice medicine.
Yu’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment by USA TODAY but said in a statement to CBS Los Angeles that his client was misrepresented. She’s accusing her husband of trying to get a leg up in divorce proceedings.
“If you thought you were being poisoned, would you go to a divorce attorney before going to the hospital or police? Drano is not a covert poisoning agent. It has a strong smell and taste and is highly caustic. Dr. Yu is looking forward to her day in court when the truth will finally come out,” the statement from Yu’s attorney read.
More coverage from USA TODAY
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund of USA TODAY, Associated Press
Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY’s NOW team.
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