Featured Image Credit: KNN
Topics: California, Crime, Health, Mental Health
William Morgan
A husband and wife have spoken out after discovering that the stomach-churning source of their worrying health problems was inside their own home.
The couple from Santa Clarita, California, had been experiencing a number of sudden and mysterious illnesses for several months that had resulted in multiple hospitalizations, after something had caused them sharp chest and stomach pains.
Doctors even gave Billy and David Sonhopper stark health warnings about unexplained liver damage, which they believed could have been the result of poison. This led the husband and wife to check cameras their landlord had installed in their shared property.
There they discovered to their disgust every renters worst nightmare, that all of their food had been contaminated by a disguised individual wearing a gas mask who they believed to be their roommate, Timothy Bradbury.
Advert
The footage allegedly shows Bradbury directing what looks like a blue can of Raid bug spray at food items on the kitchen counter and at appliances that the couple use.
Speaking to ABC 7, David Sonhopper said: "On the video we found that, besides all the other things that he's done in the year that we've lived here, that he was spraying something -- we weren't sure if it was rat poison, wasp spray."
Wife Billy added: "He was spraying stuff all over our groceries -- our fruit, our vegetables, our coffee pot that we use every morning, and our whole pantry full of our chips and cereal, all of our canned goods and spices. Everything. He sprayed it all over everything."
After seeing the shocking footage of their food being contaminated with insecticide, the couple called 911. But their nightmare was not over yet, as Bradbury, who the landlord had been trying to evict, refused to leave the property when told to by police.
Local sheriffs explained that a family member informed them that Bradbury 'suffers from a mental health disability', leading them to call in Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Mental Evaluation Team, who got him to leave the home after a two-hour standoff.
This brought an end to a litany of difficulties that the pair had experienced while living with Bradbury, who they claimed had destroyed a number of their valuables. David said: "He set our house on fire. He's poisoned our stuff. He's destroyed our property. I've had to get a new car because he destroyed my old one."
Following his arrest, police carried out an extensive search of the rental property and found evidence 'related to the initial poisoning allegations' reported by the couple.
Bradbury has now been charged with willful poisoning of food, drink, medicine or water with the intent to cause injury, which is often treated as a felony charge.
With the source of their serious health issues identified, Billy said: "We don’t want to be in fear anymore. We’re tired of it. We just want to be safe."
Husband David added: "It’s been hell living with him the past year. It’s been horrible.
"With her health issues, we were extremely concerned. And we’re just tired. We’ve been living with so much stress.’