Graduate student accused of poisoning colleague and trying to flee to China arrested at LAX

Key Points:

• Aili Wang, a 32-year-old microbiology graduate student from China at the University of Wyoming, was arrested on October 6 at Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly poisoning a colleague’s tea with acrylamide, a chemical she reportedly purchased via eBay.
• Surveillance footage showed Wang rummaging through the victim’s desk and manipulating his belongings, with police finding electronic devices and documents in her possession; the victim experienced severe symptoms including extreme tiredness and insomnia after attending a conference.
• The victim’s coffee maker water tested positive for acrylamide after his wife and others suspected poisoning, prompting an investigation involving campus police and surveillance cameras in their shared office.
• Wang faces felony aggravated assault and battery charges in Wyoming, carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, and is currently jailed without bail in Los Angeles with a $1.5 million cash-only bond set.
• The case has drawn attention amid ongoing US concerns about intellectual property theft by China, and the microbiology professor overseeing both students expressed deep shock and concern over the incident and the victim’s recovery.