A graduate student from China has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of poisoning a colleague's tea and attempting to flee the country.
Aili Wang, 32, was taken into custody on Oct. 6. Prosecutors allege she was trying to return to China.
Wang is accused of acquiring the chemical acrylamide, which was detected in the victim's coffee maker water. The alleged victim's wife and others reportedly tested the water after the victim began experiencing unexplained symptoms. Surveillance footage captured Wang going through the victim's desk and manipulating his notebooks, according to an affidavit from a University of Wyoming campus police officer.
The victim, whose federally funded research involved new technology for treating cancer, neurological, and genetic diseases, had pending patents and did not share research areas with Wang. The affidavit states Wang had no legitimate reason to access the victim's desk. Wang was reportedly working on similar research in China prior to coming to the U.S.
Mark Gomelsky, the microbiology professor overseeing both students, told The Associated Press that the alleged victim, a student from Vietnam, had begun experiencing extreme tiredness, insomnia, and other symptoms in August. The victim also noted a strange taste in his tea, which dissipated after the coffee maker was cleaned. A chemistry professor identified acrylamide in the water, Gomelsky said.
Gomelsky described the incident as "disheartening" and expressed uncertainty about the victim's full recovery. Acrylamide is a neurotoxin that can damage neurons, and its effects are not always reversible.
Wang faces a felony aggravated assault and battery charge in Wyoming, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Her bond was raised to $1.5 million cash-only. She remained in jail in Los Angeles without bail. U.S. officials have previously accused China of intellectual property theft from American universities.
Wang allegedly purchased acrylamide twice over eBay during the summer and reportedly asked the online retailer to delete her account afterward. While best known as a carcinogenic byproduct of cooking and burning tobacco, acrylamide can be acutely toxic in high doses and is used in some microbiology research.
When questioned by campus police on Oct. 5, Wang allegedly claimed she had not used acrylamide in years. The following day, she was apprehended at LAX with multiple laptops, storage devices, and documents. Wyoming prosecutors sought to significantly increase her initial $200,000 bond upon her extradition.
It remains unclear when Wang will be extradited to Wyoming to face the charges.