A family that says they fell seriously ill after getting back from a holiday claimed to have found the reason behind it after watching some security footage back.
After returning from their travels, Umar Abdullah and his wife Samira felt that something was off, as they could smell something 'weird', a 'chemical smell'.
The couple reside in Tampa, Florida, US, and searched the apartment to see if they could find where the smell was coming from, opening windows to air the rooms out and try to get rid of the smell.
Advert
But when they claimed their 10-month-old daughter began to behave weirdly and stopped eating food, the couple started to feel more severe symptoms.
They assumed that they'd all contracted a bug during their trip to Ohio, resting for a couple of days - only to find that things had gotten even worse.
The final straw was when their baby began losing clumps of hair, before Umar himself started losing clumps of hair.
Enlisting the help of the landlord, the couple couldn't find any gas leaks in the flat itself, but Umar noticed something by the front door, which prompted him to install a hidden security camera inside a plant pot outside their front door.
The couple claimed that the camera captured footage of downstairs neighbour Xuming Li, 36, who could be seen allegedly spraying a liquid onto their door frame.
According to complaints, the substance contained toxic chemicals that were a concoction of the opioids methadone and hydrocodone.
Li had allegedly been making complaints about excessive noise from the family's flat since the arrival of the baby daughter, as he detailed he could hear footsteps and the squeak of their toilet seat.
The former University of Florida student was accused of harassing the family despite Umar trying to address the problem, as him and his landlord couldn't find any evidence of noise.
Umar told local news outlet WFLA: "Even during war, the worst enemies do not attack the opponent, the other party, with chemicals."
Li was eventually arrested on 27 June 2023 after the surveillance video was captured.
The China national's attorney, Adam Bantner, revealed to Fox News Digital that Li had been deported, and is unlikely to face charges in the US.
"He was on a student visa and got expelled from school, so once the appropriate sources were notified of this, it cancelled his visa," he detailed.
The attorney said that it was a warrant status and if he comes back to the US, there is a chance the arrest could be activated.
Li was pursuing his doctorate in chemistry on a student visa, and pleaded not guilty to a number of charges, such as battery, stalking and possession of a controlled substance.
Joshua Nair