Engineer in Berkeley poisoned coworker's food and drinks for 18 months, cops say

An engineer working in Berkeley, Calif. has been charged with attempting to murder a female colleague by spiking her food and water for 18 months with a toxic metal, cadmium.

David Xu, 34, of Lafayette, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of premeditated attempted murder resulting in great bodily injury. Police have yet to release the motive for the crime.

The victim, also an engineer, said she would become ill after eating or drinking since October 2017, that she would require medical care, and would complain of “a strange taste or smell from her water and food.” Two of her family members also felt sick after sharing her water bottle, according to KPIX.

Eventually, the surveillance video at Berkeley Engineering and Research was reviewed. The footage showed Xu, a chemical engineer, slipping something inside the victim’s water bottle on two different occasions, Berkeleyside reported. Police said that tests concluded there were toxic levels of cadmium in the water. Blood samples from the victim and her two family members also showed “elevated levels of cadmium.”

Cadmium (Cd) is a naturally occurring metal that is soft, malleable, and bluish white. Most commonly, the chemical element is found in zinc ores. Most cadmium is produced by extracting it from zinc. While cadmium is a by-product, engineers still use it, though sparingly since it is poisonous, to create things such as rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries.

Ingesting cadmium, of any amount, causes immediate poisoning and will damage the liver and kidneys. It also causes cancer. Xu did not comment on his charges, according to KPIX. He is being held without bail at the Berkeley City Jail.

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