Man accused of poisoning Southern California couple by spraying bug spray on food
By Leanne Suter
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SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (KABC) — A Santa Clarita, California, couple is speaking out after their roommate allegedly poisoned them, leading to a standoff with deputies on Tuesday. They say it comes after being tormented by the man for months.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office – Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, deputies responded to a home on Tuesday after receiving reports of alleged poisoning.
A couple called sheriff’s deputies after reviewing surveillance video and discovering that a roommate was spraying their food with what appeared to be Raid bug spray. They made the discovery after numerous illnesses and emergency room visits with chest and stomach pain.
Billy Sonhopper and her husband, David, say 42-year-old Timothy Bradbury has been tormenting them for months, but it wasn’t until they saw the surveillance video that they realized their lives were in danger.
The video shows the suspect, later identified as Bradbury, wearing a gas mask and spraying what appears to be a blue can of Raid on groceries and produce in their shared kitchen, including inside the pantry.
David Sonhopper said at his latest ER visit, he was told he has liver damage, and medical professionals said, based on his blood work, they thought it could be poisoning.
That’s what led the couple to check the cameras the landlord has installed in the home.
“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,” David Sonhopper said.
“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,” Billy Sonhopper said.
The couple said that, on top of the recent incident, Bradbury has also thrown away their food and cut up their clothes.
“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,” David Sonhopper said.
They noted that they had called law enforcement in the past, but never had much evidence until they discovered the new surveillance video.
When deputies responded to the home on Tuesday, they attempted to make contact with Bradbury, but he retreated inside and refused to come out, deputies said.
Deputies learned that Bradbury suffers from a mental health disability and called a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Mental Evaluation Team to the scene.
After two hours of negotiations, Bradbury exited the home voluntarily and was detained, the sheriff’s department said. He was placed under arrest for willful poisoning of food, drink, medicine or water with the intent to cause injury.
Video from the scene shows gloved deputies going in and out of the home. At one point, an investigator is seen removing a blue can of Raid that looks just like the one in the surveillance video.
The couple says the owner of the home has been trying to evict Bradbury. Given the shocking video, they say they’re terrified of what could happen next.
“It’s been hell living with him the past year. It’s been horrible,” David Sonhopper said after Bradbury’s arrest. “With her health issues, we were extremely concerned. And we’re just tired. We’ve been living with so much stress.”
“We don’t want to be in fear anymore. We’re tired of it. We just want to be safe.” Billy Sonhopper said.
The couple added that they hope the suspect gets the mental health support he needs.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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