A Chinese national pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Wyoming has been arrested on charges of injuring a fellow graduate student by putting a neurotoxic substance into the tea the colleague was drinking. She was detained at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to travel to China a day after being questioned by police.
Yiley Wang, 32, a microbiology graduate student at the University of Wyoming, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on the 6th, the Associated Press reported on the 15th. Wang is accused of causing injury by placing acrylamide into the tea of a Vietnamese fellow graduate student on campus. Mark Gomelsky, the microbiology professor who advises both students, told the AP that Wang was envious of her colleague's achievements.
The victim suffered severe fatigue, insomnia, numbness in the fingers and weakness in the legs beginning in August. Gomelsky said the victim, who brewed tea using a small coffee machine on his desk, noticed the taste was unusual and that the taste disappeared after washing the machine. The victim's wife and others around him tested the water in the machine and confirmed the presence of acrylamide.
According to an affidavit by a campus police officer, closed-circuit television footage captured Wang taking photos at the victim's desk, handling his notes and then rinsing the victim's mug with liquid from her own cup.
Allegations have also been raised that Wang purchased the substance on the online marketplace eBay. Wang told police during questioning on the 5th that she had not used acrylamide for years, but was arrested a day later while carrying several laptops and documents related to external storage devices.
Wang faces felony charges of aggravated assault and battery in Wyoming. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Judge Robert Sanford of the Albany County Circuit Court raised her bond from $200,000 to $1.5 million at the request of prosecutors. It must be paid in cash only.
Wang is being held without bail in Los Angeles, and the timing of her extradition to Wyoming has not been determined. Gomelsky said acrylamide is not neutralized in the body and damages nerve cells, leaving it unclear whether the victim will fully recover.