A former Lehigh University student is facing charges for trying to kill his black roommate using a chemical used in rat poison, the student was already facing ethnic intimidation charges.
A 22-year-old chemistry major from China, Yukai yang started sprinkling his roommate's food and drinks with poisonous chemicals including thallium, for several months.
the student planned to kill his roommate identified as Juwan Royal without drawing attention and in a slow manner, his plan got busted when Royal started getting sick and started having dizzy spells, rounds of vomiting.
Royal eventually went to a local hospital where he tested positive for thallium -- an odorless and tasteless type of soft metal. It was commonly used in rat poison until the U.S. banned the practice in the 1970s.
"This was over a period of time with small amounts of poisoning occurring," Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said during a press conference Thursday. "It was added to food and drinks in the refrigerator.
"We have weird and bizarre behavior on the part of this young man Mr. Yang," Morganelli added.
the pair were roommates for several years during the main fall and spring semesters, Yang was already facing an ethnic intimidation charge for allegedly writing racist graffiti in the pair's dorm room in the spring.
Royal who has graduated revealed that his body still suffers the aftermath of taking the poisonous substances.
Yang turned himself into police in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, just east of Allentown, on Thursday and is facing charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, and reckless endangerment, according to Morganelli.
