Aili Wang, a 32-year-old University of Wyoming student, was charged with aggravated assault and battery after police say she attempted to poison a colleague with acrylamide and then fled to China. Prosecutors allege Wang purchased the chemical through eBay and was seen on surveillance footage manipulating her coworker's mug before her arrest at Los Angeles International Airport on October 6.
Campus police questioned Wang on October 5 after a coworker, who was experiencing medical symptoms, reported seeing her rinse his mug with liquid from her own cup on October 1. A university police affidavit noted that surveillance cameras also captured Wang taking photos and manipulating notebooks. Authorities stated Wang did not get along with the unnamed victim, a microbiology graduate student from Vietnam who specialized in disease treatment technology similar to work she had done in China.
The chemical used was identified as acrylamide, which the American Cancer Society states can cause health problems including cancer. The substance was discovered when the victim's wife tested water from his coffee maker. When questioned by police, Wang claimed she had not used acrylamide in years. However, she was arrested the following day while attempting to return to her home country of China, where prosecutors allege she was fleeing justice.
At the time of her arrest, officers found Wang in possession of multiple laptops, portable external digital storage devices, and written materials. Following her extradition back to Wyoming, prosecutors requested an increase in her bond from $200,000 to $1.5 million cash-only, citing the seizure of these items. The affidavit further noted that the victim's federally funded research involved new technology for cancer, neurological, and genetic disease treatment, and that Wang had no reason to be searching his desk.
Mark Gomelsky, a microbiology professor at the University of Wyoming who oversaw both students, described the incident as a horrifying experience. He told Fox News Digital and the Associated Press that Wang had not passed her first dissertation defense and became envious of the victim's achievement in using bacteria to deliver RNA to human cells. Gomelsky said the victim began experiencing extreme tiredness and inability to sleep after attending a prestigious conference in August.
The victim continues to suffer from symptoms including an inability to focus. Gomelsky explained that acrylamide is a neurotoxin that cannot be neutralized and remains in neurons, making it unclear if the victim will fully recover. An assistant professor at the university who helped identify the chemical described the victim's work as a promising cancer therapy method.
Wang faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $10,000 fine for aggravated assault and battery in Wyoming. University of Wyoming President Shane Reeves stated that the university takes matters involving campus health and safety seriously and remains committed to providing a secure environment for all members of the community.