Overview
- Police arrested David Xu in March 2019 after hidden videos recorded by colleague Rong Yuan showed him handling her water bottle and investigators later tied the incidents to cadmium contamination.
- Xu pleaded no contest in late 2023 to a single felony count of poisoning, accepted probation instead of facing attempted murder charges, and completed his two‑year probation in March 2026.
- Laboratory testing reported by news outlets found extraordinarily high cadmium levels in Yuan’s bottle, cited as up to 3.5 million times the federal drinking‑water limit, and Yuan says she still suffers long‑term health problems.
- Yuan publicly released the hidden‑camera footage this week as Xu asks an Alameda County judge to withdraw his plea and dismiss the conviction under California law and the district attorney’s office has filed objections.
- The case raises questions about charging and plea choices, the limits of expungement after probation, and the practical impact a dismissal would have on Yuan’s ability to see formal accountability and on Xu’s background checks.