OC mom accused of pouring Drano into husband's lemonade
IRVINE, Calif. - An Irvine dermatologist and mother of two was arrested on suspicion of poisoning her husband by allegedly spiking his drinks with dangerous household chemicals on multiple occasions.
Irvine police arrested 45-year-old dermatologist Dr. Yue Yu, who also goes by Emily, after her husband had reportedly fallen ill over the course of a month and became suspicious that his wife was responsible for his illness. In an order of protection filed by the husband, he claims that on three separate occasions, he caught her on surveillance video pouring Drano, a chemical drain cleaner, into his lemonade, "(I drink it while it's hot)," he wrote in a petition to the court.
After the husband, who is a radiologist, noticed "a chemical taste" in his lemonade and was diagnosed with ulcers, gastritis and esophagitis, he put cameras in place to record his wife, according to the filing.
Photos shared with FOX 11 show the woman pouring liquid from a big red container.
According to the filing, the couple was married in 2012 and has two children, a daughter and son who are 8 and 7 years old.
"After the children were born, I became concerned about Emily’s behavior," the husband wrote.
He claims that she began hiding money from him and in one situation, she allegedly demanded that he give her a massage, and he declined because he was sick.
"She stepped on my head until I did," he alleged.
He went on to further alleged that he was being abused, "both verbally and emotionally" by his wife and his mother-in-law. He also claims that the pair were also verbally and physically abusive to the couple's children.
In his application for a restraining order, he is also seeking sole custody of the kids.
Detectives served a search warrant at the couple’s home and arrested Yu. She was booked into the Orange County Jail but was released Friday on $30,000 bond, according to the District Attorney’s Office. She’s due back in court on Nov. 3.
David Wohl, Yu's Attorney, called the allegations "false" in a statement to FOX News and said they are motivated by a recent divorce filing and child custody case between the couple.
"Ms. Emily Yu vehemently and unequivocally denies ever attempting to poison her husband or anyone else," he told Fox News Digital in a statement Tuesday. "As a well-respected physician, her goal as always been to help people and never to harm people. Accordingly, she also strongly denies her husband's claims of abusing him and their children emotionally and physically."
"We are reviewing the evidence in the case to see what charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," a spokesperson for the DA’s office said.
The victim sustained significant internal injuries but is expected to recover.