The case against the Florida chemistry doctorate student accused of injecting chemicals into his upstairs neighbors' apartment is on pause after he was deported, his lawyer said.
Xuming Li was charged in June with several counts of battery and one count of possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
A hidden camera video captured by the neighbor appeared to show Li inserting a syringe under the door. The resident Umar Abdullah previously told USA TODAY that he set up the camera after repeatedly smelling a strong chemical scent in his home that made him and his family sick.
Li was out on bail after his arrest. Li's lawyer Adam Bantner told USA TODAY Thursday that the defendant was deported.
"As such, a capias (warrant) has been issued by the Court and the case will, essentially, be on pause unless or until he returns to the States," Banter said in an emailed statement.
Abdullah did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on the development.
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As previously reported by USA TODAY, Li frequently complained to Abdullah about everyday noises coming from upstairs, where Abdullah lived with his wife and infant daughter.
On May 31, Abdullah had a friend drop by his house to check on a delivery he received while he was out of town. After she arrived, she called him and asked if he had painted or bought new furniture recently because it smelled strongly of chemicals and made her eyes burn. When he replied no, she said she had to leave because it felt like someone threw chili powder on her.
That was the first of several incidents when his family would experience the mystery smell that seemed to be coming from the water heater closet next to the front door. Abdullah said they called Tampa Fire Recue on one occasion to check for chemical leaks, but found nothing. They had the AC checked and water heater replaced, but neither solved the issue.
Meanwhile, every time the smell would appear, his daughter's eyes would water, and she would cough until she vomited. After eliminating several potential sources of the smell, he and his wife began to suspect someone was tampering with their home.
"I started sniffing the water heater area like a dog, and as I was moving towards the entry door from the water heater door, I felt that the smell is even more severe, a toxic smell," he said. "And the headache – I can't describe in words. It is so bad."
In June, he set up the camera and captured Li approaching the door carrying what looks like a syringe twice on back-to-back days. He provided the video evidence to police.
