A Florida man is facing charges after he was caught on camera allegedly injecting toxins that he concocted at a university lab under the door of his Tampa neighbor amid a dispute.
Mr. Li had been making noise complaints about his upstairs neighbors for over a year, police say. His complaints included allegedly being disturbed at night due to loud footsteps, furniture being moved, and a noisy toilet seat.
However, their experience took a disturbing turn amid Mr. Li’s complaints.
Mr. Abdullah shared that after a noxious odor was discovered, his household, including his infant daughter, soon became troubled by instances of drowsiness, sickness, and throwing up, WFLA reported.
Experts were brought in to determine the source of the smell, including an air conditioning technician and a plumber who checked the water heater. However, the odor remained, even after a thorough cleaning of the air ducts and vents. Even contacting the fire department didn’t yield any concrete findings.
“I started sniffing that place like a dog,” Mr. Abdullah told WFLA.
Mr. Abdullah soon became suspicious of his downstairs neighbor, Mr. Li. Mr. Abdullah set up a hidden camera in a plant outside his door.
The video showed Mr. Li crouching by Mr. Abdullah’s front door on two distinct occasions, where he allegedly used a syringe to inject a lethal toxic mixture into Mr. Abdullah’s residence, according to a complaint. On one of these occasions, Mr. Abdullah said that his baby daughter became ill within minutes of Mr. Li’s alleged actions.
Upon reviewing the footage, Mr. Abdullah removed his family from their apartment and informed law enforcement.
“Even during war, the worst enemies do not attack the opponent, the other party, with chemicals,” Mr. Abdullah said.
After this, Mr. Li was arrested and charged with multiple serious offenses, including possession of controlled substances and burglary. A hazardous materials test conducted by the Tampa Police Department identified the injected substance as a mixture of methadone and hydrocodone, opioid pain medications.
Mr. Abdullah said the substance that Mr. Li used was “extremely hazardous and life-threatening.”
“Inhaling the poison could lead to rapid entry of toxins into the bloodstream, which posed an even greater risk for babies,” he added.
He described the distressing sight of his daughter being treated at an emergency room.
“Seeing her tiny hand with an intravenous catheter, enduring those painful pokes and tests, tore me apart inside,” Mr. Abdullah said.
Mr. Abdullah, who recently celebrated his daughter’s first birthday, expressed how “scary for us” it was to have a neighbor who seemed like “a regular guy” attempt to allegedly harm them “with chemicals.”
The apartment complex’s homeowners’ association has filed a legal action for violating the contract against Mr. Li, who owns his apartment, with the aim of expelling him from the premises, reported Fox News.
Mr. Abdullah has also lodged a civil lawsuit against Mr. Li.
Mr. Li has been released on bail, and his upcoming court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5. Mr. Li’s lawyer told 8 On Your Side that his client pleaded not guilty, reported WFLA.
