Coffee, tea or Drano? Dermatologist accused of poisoning her husband

A California dermatologist has been ordered by a family court judge to stay away from her family after her husband handed over hidden-camera videos allegedly showing her spiking his hot lemon tea with Drano. Dr. Yue “Emily” Yu, 45, who practises in Orange County, Calif., was arrested on Aug. 4 after her husband, Jack Chen, brought the videos to police. Chen, a radiologist, had initially taken the videos to his lawyer, Steven Hittelman. But Hittelman “told him he was in the wrong office and told him he needed to go to the Irvine Police Department,” reported the Los Angeles Times. Dr. Yu, who was released from county jail on a US$3,000 bail, has denied the allegations. No criminal charges have been laid against her. Read: Pediatrician charged with hiring a hit man to murder her ex-husband Chen installed hidden cameras in his home after he started getting stomach pain and noticed a “chemical taste” in his daily morning beverage. According to his claims filed in family court, the videos show his wife—on three different days—taking a bright orange jug from under the kitchen sink and pouring some of its contents into Chen’s cup. “I found out my wife has poisoned me with Drano to try to kill me,” the 53-year-old radiologist wrote in a court declaration. One clip shows Chen preparing his tea, taking a sip and then covering the cup with a sheet of plastic. After he leaves the kitchen, Dr. Yu is seen grabbing the orange jug, lifting the plastic wrap from the cup and slipping some liquid from the jug into the tea. She then puts the plastic wrap back over the cup. Read: Ontario doctor alleged to have killed 4 people around same date in 2021: documents “She sits back like nothing had happened,” Hittelman said. Chen stopped drinking his tea after viewing the videos. He has been diagnosed with two stomach ulcers, gastritis and a swollen esophagus. Dr. Yu’s attorney said she “has never engaged in harmful conduct toward anyone, including members of her family.” Chen has filed for divorce and seeks custody of their daughters, aged seven and eight. In court documents, he describes his wife of 10 years as abusive and violent towards the children. According to his claim, Dr. Yu hit and swore at the children, and yelled at them when they spent time with with their father. Read: Stranger than fiction: How one doctor solved a murder mystery that sent another doctor to life in prison Chen has asked for Dr. Yu to move out of their home and keep away from their children, whom he said “have suffered physical, verbal and emotional abuse by their mother.” According to Chen, Dr. Yu called the children “stupid,” “dumb” and sometimes used a Chinese phrase that translates to “go die.” She also sometimes deprived them of sleep as a way to discipline them. Dr. Yu’s lawyer said the false allegations are part of Chen’s strategy to gain an upper hand in the divorce proceedings. “On top of that it is hard to imagine anyone believing that Dr. Chen could start drinking Drano nearly six months ago and not figure out he was ingesting a caustic chemical until last week,” the lawyer wrote in Dr. Yu’s defence statement. Read: Germany: Fake doctor gets life in prison for patient deaths

Coffee, tea or Drano? Dermatologist accused of poisoning her husband

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