Aili Wang, a 32-year-old microbiology graduate student from China, was arrested on 6 October at Los Angeles International Airport after prosecutors allege she poisoned a colleague's tea and attempted to flee to China.
According to prosecutors, Wang poisoned the tea of a Wyoming colleague who held pending patents. The victim specialized in technology for disease treatment research, work similar to projects Wang had previously conducted in China. Prosecutors allege Wang and the victim did not get along.
Police say surveillance video showed Wang rummaging through the victim's desk. When arrested at LAX, Wang carried laptops, electronic storage devices and documents now held by police.
The arrest followed police questioning of Wang. The Guardian reports prosecutors allege she sought to return to China after learning of the police investigation.