A Florida man who was caught on camera allegedly putting dangerous chemicals under the door of his upstairs neighbor's home is facing charges. WFLA recently obtained footage of the man, later identified as 36-year-old Xuming Li, releasing opioid chemicals into the Tampa condo of Umar Abdullah.
Abdullah told reporters the family just welcomed their newborn daughter when Li started texting them, complaining about noise and other grievances. The back and forth went on for months until the upstairs hm, his wife, and infant started feeling sick, from grogginess to vomiting. They didn't notice anything awry until a friend smelled the chemicals while bringing in a package.
After maintenance workers and the fire department couldn't find anything, Abdullah began doing his own investigation. He installed a hidden camera outside his door, and the device caught Li allegedly injecting the liquid into the crack of the family's door frame.
“A neighbor, who supposedly, who’s seemingly a regular guy, he was coming and harming us with chemicals,” Abdullah told WFLA. “And that was very scary for us.”
The father got his family out of the condo and sent the video to the police. According to a Tampa police affidavit obtained by reporters, a hazmat test confirmed the "liquid chemic agent" contained methadone and hydrocodone -- both opioid pain medications.
Li was arrested on June 27 and charged with one count of felony aggravated stalking, three counts of dispersing a chemical agent, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, per NBC News. He faces an additional charge of battery on a law enforcement officer for allegedly exposing an officer to the chemicals.
WFLA learned Li was a Ph.D. chemistry student at the University of Southern Florida. Officials at the school said she's no longer enrolled there.
Li's attorney said he pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently out on bond. His next hearing is scheduled for December 5. He's also facing lawsuits from both Abdullah and the condo association.