California Engineer Charged With Attempted Murder For Poisoning Co-Worker For Over A Year

A Northern California engineer was arrested last week and charged with attempted murder and two counts of felony poisoning for spiking a co-worker's food and water.

David Xu, 34, while working at consulting firm Berkeley Engineering and Research Inc., allegedly poisoned a female co-worker with cadmium for about 18 months.

According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "long-term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects." Cadmium, a soft bluish-white metal, is found in the Earth's crust.

Xu was charged after the woman reported that she felt there were unusual smells and tastes in her food and drinks when she returned to them after leaving them unattended in her office, authorities said, according to SFGate.

The woman said she experienced "immediate and significant health problems" and at times needed hospital care. In 2018, two of her relatives who drank from her water bottle also became ill. Blood samples showed that all three had elevated levels of cadmium.

According to court documents, the woman realized what was occurring after she happened to look at surveillance footage from her office and found evidence of Xu "adding a substance to her water bottle" at least twice.

Xu remains held in custody without bail.