A Southern California woman accused of putting Drano in her husband’s drinks pleaded not guilty Thursday to multiple charges.
Yue Yu, 45, appeared briefly in court to enter not guilty pleas on felony poisoning and domestic battery charges, the Orange County Register reported. Yu was indicted on the charges last month.
The case began in August 2022, when Yu’s husband, Jack Chen, called police and said he had proof that she’d been poisoning him. Starting in March of that year, Chen noticed that his drinks had been tasting funny. He eventually went to a doctor and was diagnosed with two stomach ulcers, gastritis and esophagitis.
Chen suspected that his wife was behind his sudden health issues, so he installed secret cameras in the kitchen at their home. And sure enough, those cameras caught Yu pouring liquid drain cleaner into his lemonade and tea, according to prosecutors. She was caught red-handed three times, authorities said.
Chen filed for a restraining order — and also a divorce — in August 2022. He also alleged in the court documents that Yu was abusive toward their young children, cursing at them and forcing them to stay awake.
Yu’s lawyers claimed it was all a setup so Chen could win custody of the children in the divorce, according to the OC Register. Her attorney, Scott Simmons, said she would put Drano in cups to kill ants.
“He then sets her up after he knows she is going to do that,” Simmons told the paper. “He sets up what he calls spy cameras to capture her pouring the Drano into the tea. The backdrop of all these facts, obviously, is the high-stakes divorce litigation that is going on.”
Yu was initially detained last August but posted bond and remains free. A licensed dermatologist, she has been allowed to continue practicing while the case plays out.
If convicted, Yu faces a maximum of eight years and eight months behind bars.