A Florida man was arrested and charged with injecting a chemical agent with a syringe under the door of his neighbor's condo, police say, an act of battery allegedly caught on video that was released this week.
Xuming Li, 36, was seen injecting a liquid under a neighboring family’s door at Oxford Place at Tampa Palms '"on several occasions," according to a police report. The liquid tested positive for the narcotics methadone and hydrocodone.
Methadone and hydrocodone are used to treat pain. Side effects for both narcotics can include restlessness, stomach pain, vomiting, difficulty breathing, skin irritation, chest pain, diarrhea, hallucinations and fainting, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Umar Abdullah installed a hidden camera outside his condo after he smelled chemicals in his home and his 10-month-old baby started vomiting, NBC affiliate in Tampa WFLA reported.
Tampa Fire Rescue responded to the family’s home “on several occasions” but weren’t able to determine the cause of the smell, according to a Tampa Police Department report.
Surveillance footage showed Abdullah's downstairs neighbor, Li, injecting a liquid through his condo's doorway. Li had previously made noise complaints to Abdullah, according to WFLA.
“Even during war, the worst enemies do not attack the opponent, the other party, with chemicals,” Abdullah told WFLA.
Abdullah, his wife and their child suffered shortness of breath and eye and skin irritation from inhaling the chemicals for over a month, according to the police report.
During investigation of the home, an officer who was exposed to the chemicals also experienced skin irritation and received medical treatment.
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. He was also charged with battery on a law enforcement officer for exposing an officer to the chemicals.
The Oxford Place at Tampa Palms Condominium Association filed a complaint against Li on July 19 in the thirteenth judicial circuit court to provide a final judgement of eviction.
The association claims Li breached his contract when he allegedly injected chemicals into his neighbor's unit, making residents feel unsafe.
The association also requests the court to grant an injunction requiring Li to "immediately cease and desist of any harassment, threats of physical violence, assault, battery, intimidation and quality of life," as well as pay $50,000 in damages and the association's attorney's fees.
