Yue Yu: Doctor accused of poisoning husband with Drano says she was trying to curb ant infestation
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA: Yue 'Emily' Yu, a 45-year-old dermatologist from California, has been accused of mixing Drano into her husband's hot lemon tea for three consecutive days in July 2022. Her husband, Jack Chen, 53, grew suspicious of the taste and secretly recorded her in the act using a hidden camera. Yu was indicted on April 5 by a grand jury on three counts of domestic battery with corporal injury, each of which is classified as a felony offense. If she is found guilty, she could potentially be sentenced to over eight years in prison.
However, in the latest court hearing on Tuesday, April 11, Yu's attorney, David Dworakowski, claimed that she was not trying to kill her husband, but was instead attempting to deal with an ant infestation in their home. Dworakowski revealed that the former couple had a known ant problem in their house and resorted to "unconventional methods" to address the issue. He explained that his client added Drano and sugar to her husband's lemon tea, intending to attract the ants and drown them rather than poison Chen. Additionally, Dworakowski found it "odd" that Chen would give the video footage to his divorce lawyer instead of reporting the incident to the authorities.
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Attorney says dermatologist Yue Yu's husband made up poisoning story to get custody of children
'She was trying to attract the ants'
"Obviously, the allegations are disputed," Dworakowski said, as per the NY Post. "Dr Yu has been a physician for many years, has never been in trouble before and is a loving mom. We believe there is a sinister motive on the part of her ex-husband to take advantage of her in their divorce case. While prosecutors are making it out like this video of Emily is a ‘smoking gun,’ the reality is she was trying to attract the ants into the glass so they would drown."
'Our homes should be where we feel the safest'
Earlier this month, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer released a statement in which he accused Yu of deliberately shattering her husband's sense of security by secretly exposing him to poisonous substances. Spitzer maintained that Yu's actions constituted intentional torture, as Chen was unaware that his drink had been tampered with. "Our homes should be where we feel the safest," he said. "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."
Yue Yu used to scream at her children to 'go die'
Following his wife's arrest in August 2022, Chen alleged that Yu had subjected him and their children to years of abuse. Court documents revealed that at one point, the dermatologist had even shouted at the children to "go die." "When Emily gets frustrated and yells at the children, she'll commonly use a Chinese phrase that translates to 'go die'," Chen wrote in a court statement as he sought a restraining order against his wife. "She also says to the children, 'your head has a problem,' 'your head is sick,' 'go f**k yourself,' 'f***ing idiot,' 'stupid a**hole,' and 'get the f**k out of my way'," Chen revealed.
Steve Hittleman, an attorney representing Chen, informed that the father had been granted custody of the couple's children. "Making sure that there's a chance for justice to be served," he said. "This is the next step in resolving this horrible turn of events. This is tragic on a number of levels," he added.