Chinese student arrested at airport after poisoning classmate's tea with toxic chemical

A Chinese graduate student at the University of Wyoming was arrested after allegedly lacing a classmate's tea with a toxic chemical, causing serious injury. She was caught at an airport while attempting to flee to China after being questioned by police.

Wang Aili, 32, a Chinese national, was arrested Tuesday (local time) at Los Angeles International Airport on charges of aggravated assault, according to the Associated Press. She is accused of adding acrylamide — purchased from the online shopping platform eBay — to the tea of a fellow graduate student.

The victim, a graduate student from Vietnam, was researching new technologies for treating cancer and genetic disorders and was on the verge of filing a patent. Wang had also conducted research in a similar field in China before coming to the United States.

The investigation began after the victim reported unexplained physical symptoms. Starting in August, she experienced numbness and reduced sensation in her fingers, weakness in her legs, severe fatigue and sleep disturbances.

The victim noticed an unusual taste whenever she brewed tea using a small coffeemaker on her desk. She had the water from the machine tested and confirmed it contained acrylamide.

Surveillance cameras subsequently installed in the office captured Wang rummaging through the victim's desk on Sept. 27. On Oct. 1, she was also filmed manipulating a research notebook on the desk, photographing it, and rinsing the victim's mug with liquid from her own cup.

Wang told university police on Monday that she had not used acrylamide for years, according to authorities. Police said they also found that she had purchased acrylamide twice through eBay and then requested that her account be deleted.

Acrylamide is a substance that can form when starchy foods such as potatoes are cooked at high temperatures; it is also found in cigarette smoke. Exposure to high concentrations can have harmful effects on the nervous system.

Professor Mark Gomelsky, who supervised both students, told the Associated Press that Wang had grown jealous of her classmate's research achievements after failing her dissertation review on the first attempt. The two were said to have had a strained relationship.

The victim continues to suffer from difficulty concentrating, low energy and reduced sensation in her left hand. Assistant Professor Tak Smaya said it was difficult to be certain whether the victim would make a full recovery.

Wang was indicted on charges of aggravated assault, a felony in Wyoming. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. A local court raised her bail from $200,000 to $1.5 million, and she remains in custody in Los Angeles.