Engineer Convicted of Poisoning Awaits Judge’s Decision on Dismissal

A woman has released a hidden-camera video that was instrumental in convicting her coworker of poisoning, as he requests a judge to dismiss his felony conviction. The case involved David Xu, formerly a senior materials engineer at Berkeley Engineering and Research in California, who admitted to poisoning colleague Rong Yuan’s food and water with cadmium, a toxic metal, over a period spanning from 2017 to 2019.

Xu faced charges of premeditated attempted murder and two counts of felony poisoning. He took a plea deal on a single count of poisoning, receiving one year of probation. However, according to the San Francisco Standard, during Xu’s 2024 sentencing hearing, the judge extended his probation to two years, labeling the deal as ‘extremely generous’. As Xu seeks to have the felony conviction removed, Yuan released video evidence showing Xu allegedly adding a substance to her water bottle.

The district attorney’s office opposes Xu’s request, but California law indicates that judges are required to honor the request if the defendant fulfills probation conditions.

“I just decided I will never overlap with him,” Yuan stated about her initial interaction with Xu, where he restricted her use of the firm’s lab.

Yuan described developing symptoms like dry heaving and hair loss over several weeks. After drinking from her water bottle in July 2017, Yuan said she felt as though she were dying. By late 2018, repeated hospital visits prompted her to suspect foul play when she emailed on November 27 that she was unwell.

When Xu replied, “You should work from home until you feel better. No reason to rush in,” Yuan felt uneasy. In January 2019, after feeling sick again and noticing a sour taste when her mother tried her water, Yuan ordered a spy camera.

On February 11, 2019, Xu was filmed reaching for Yuan’s water bottle; he was later caught pouring a substance into the bottle on March 4, 2019. Yuan turned this video over to the Berkeley Police Department.

Xu completed his probation in March but seeks to have the conviction erased, though it will remain on his record. Fox News Digital reached out to Xu’s attorney for comment.