A 36-year-old man has been arrested after he was allegedly caught on surveillance footage injecting poison under the door of a neighbouring home in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Xuming Li has been charged with injecting a chemical agent with a syringe under the door of the condo, according to a police report viewed by NBC News.
The report states that Mr Li was seen injecting the liquid under the door at Oxford Place at Tampa Palms “on several occasions”.
Testing revealed the liquid as the narcotics methadone and hydrocodone, which are used to treat pain. Side effects for both of the drugs may include restlessness, stomach pain, vomiting, breathing difficulties, skin issues, chest pain, diarrhoea, hallucinations and fainting, the Mayo Clinic states.
The resident, Umar Abdullah smelled the chemicals in his home and his baby, aged ten months, began vomiting, leading to him installing security cameras, WFLA reported.
Tampa Fire Rescue came to the home several times but they couldn’t find what caused the smell, a Tampa Police Department report states.
Security footage shows Mr Li, Mr Abdullah’s downstairs neighbour, injecting a liquid through the doorway. Mr Li had made noise complaints to Mr Abdullah previously, according to the local TV station.
“Even during war, the worst enemies do not attack the opponent, the other party, with chemicals,” Mr Abdullah told the outlet.
Xuming Li, 36, injected liquid under a family’s door in Tampa Bay, Florida— (WFLA)
Mr Abdullah, as well as his wife, and their child experienced shortness of breath, and irritation to both the skin and the eyes after they inhaled the chemicals over the course of a month, the police report states.
An officer investigating the home also suffered skin irritation and received medical care.
Mr Li was detained on 27 June. He was charged with one count of felony aggravated stalking, three counts of dispersing a chemical agent, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, as well as battery on a law enforcement officer after the officer was exposed to the chemicals.
On 19 July, the Oxford Place at Tampa Palms Condominium Association filed a complaint against Mr Li in court for a judgment of eviction.
The association argues that Mr Li was in violation of his contract when he allegedly injected the chemicals.
The associations have also requested that the court grant an injunction to mandate that Mr Li “immediately cease and desist of any harassment, threats of physical violence, assault, battery, intimidation and quality of life” and that he pay $50,000 in damages and the legal fees for the association.
