An Irvine woman who allegedly poisoned her husband by putting Drano in his drinks last year was indicted by a grand jury on three felony counts of poisoning and one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury, authorities said Wednesday, April 5.
Dr. Yue “Emily” Yu, who works as a dermatologist in Mission Viejo, faces a maximum sentence of more than eight years if convicted as charged, said Kimberly Edds, spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Yu was scheduled to make her first court appearance on the charges on April 18.
Yu’s husband suspected she had been putting something in his drinks after he had noticed a strange taste to his tea beginning in April 2022, Edds said. He installed a pair of video cameras in their kitchen, one of which was placed in a cabinet under the sink.
On three separate occasions in July, cameras captured Yu pulling a bottle of liquid drain cleaner from underneath the sink and pouring the liquid into her husband’s drinks, which were either on the counter or on a nearby kitchen table.
Her husband also collected samples of the drinks and turned them over to the Irvine Police Department, which in turn gave them to the FBI for testing. Agents confirmed the samples contained a substance consistent with the liquid drain cleaner, Edds said.
Yu was arrested by police in August, but was released after posting $30,000 bond, Edds said.
With the indictment, Yu is required to “self-report to the Medical Board of California, which will determine whether she will be allowed to continue to practice medicine,” Edds said.
Following her August arrest, Yu’s husband was granted a temporary restraining order requiring Yu stay away from her husband, the couple’s two children and the home, which was still in effect, according to court documents. Days later, he filed for divorce.
In documents supporting the temporary restraining order, Yu’s husband wrote that a doctor’s visit led to a diagnosis of two stomach ulcers, gastritis and esophagitis.
Following her arrest, Yu’s attorney, David Wohl, said Yu denied ever attempting to poison her husband and claimed the false allegations were made by her husband so he could gain the upper hand in the divorce and custody case.
Hits: 2
