Florida Chemistry Student Accused of Injecting Methadone, Hydrocodone Through Crack in Neighbor’s Door

A man pursuing a PhD in chemistry is accused of discharging syringes filled with a "chemical agent" into his upstairs neighbors' apartment unit, causing the family to become sick over several months.

Umar Abdullah and his wife moved into a Tampa apartment complex in June 2022 and soon had a baby, Tampa station WFLA-TV reported.

Xuming Li, their downstairs neighbor, began complaining that they were making noises that prevented him from being able to sleep, including moving their toilet seat.

Abdullah exchanged text messages with Li for months to try to resolve the situation. But eventually, Abdullah came to believe that the noises that Li was complaining about weren't real.

Soon, Abdullah, his wife, and their baby became sick. They felt groggy and began vomiting.

“I look at my daughter,” Abdullah told WFLA. “Her eyes were full of tears. She was not crying, but her eyes were full of tears.”

When Abdullah was on vacation, a friend stopped by to deliver a package at his apartment and complained of a strange chemical smell. When Abdullah returned home after the trip, he too noticed the stench.

He hired plumbers and repairmen to check his AC unit, but nothing appeared to be broken. Firefighters conducted tests in the apartment but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

Desperate for answers, Abdullah eventually placed a hidden camera in a plant outside his door. When his daughter became sick, he checked the camera, noticing that that Li was there, crouching just out of view.

“We were shaking,” Abdullah said. “We can’t imagine that he is coming and doing something.”

Abdullah pointed the camera toward the base of the door, and the next time his daughter grew sick, he spotted Li filling up a syringe with a mysterious liquid then discharging it through a crack in the doorframe.

Abdullah called the police, and Li was promptly arrested on multiple felonies. A hazmat team later found that Li's liquid concoction contained two opioid pain medications: methadone and hydrocodone.

Li was reportedly a student at the University of Southern Florida, but he didn't reenroll for the fall semester. He's out on bond, and his next court appearance is set for December 5.

Li's attorney told WFLA he pleaded not guilty and that the true facts of the case would soon emerge.

Abdullah, meanwhile, is concerned that his now 1-year-old daughter could have long-term damage from the repeat exposures. He and his family plan to move to a different townhome after the traumatic experience.

“Even during war, the worst enemies do not attack the opponent, the other party, with chemicals,” Abdullah said.