Mission Viejo dermatologist faces up to 8 years for poisoning her husband with Drano
A Mission Viejo dermatologist is alleged to have poisoned her husband over several weeks by spiking his tea with a liquid drain cleaner, resulting in stomach ulcers.
Yue "Emily" Yu, 45, of Irvine has been indicted on three felony counts of poisoning and one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury. She faces a maximum sentence of eight years and eight months if convicted on all counts.
The indictment requires Yu to self-report to the Medical Board of California, which will determine whether she will be allowed to continue to practice medicine.
Related: Attorney explains why the Irvine doctor accused of poisoning her husband poured Drano into cup
In early April 2022, Yu's husband, Dr. Jack Chen, began noticing a strange taste in the tea he drinks daily. He installed cameras in the family's Irvine kitchen to see if he could capture any evidence as to why his tea tasted strange.
On July 11, July 18, and July 25, 2022, video captured Yue Yu pouring a substance out of a bottle of liquid drain cleaner into her husband's tea that was left on the counter. Her husband also collected samples of the tea and turned them over to the Irvine Police Department.
Chen's lawyer says there are hours of hidden camera video available to prove their case, and that he is now doing better after taking time to recover from the stomach ulcers.
The samples were later turned over to the FBI for testing, which confirmed the substance was consistent with liquid drain cleaner.
"Our homes should be where we feel the safest," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "Yet, a licensed medical professional capitalized on her husband's daily rituals to torment her husband by systematically plying his tea with a Drano-like substance intending to cause him pain and suffering. Thank you to the Irvine Police Department for its diligence in thoroughly investigating this case and to Deputy District Attorney Diana King for her conscientious legal review that allowed the case to be successfully presented to the Grand Jury for an indictment."
Related: Judge denies visitation for Irvine doctor accused of poisoning husband with Drano
Despite claims of proof from one side, Yu's lawyer Scott Simmons says that her husband was desperate for a divorce filing and are questioning why he decided to go the a divorce attorney before police or medical professionals.
In a statement provided to KCAL News, attorneys state that "Drano is not a covert poisoning agent. It has a strong smell and taste and is highly caustic" and that she is "looking forward to her day in court when the truth will finally come out."
She is scheduled for arraignment on April 18.
