This browser does not support the Video element.
Man accused of poisoning roommates' food
A man got into a standoff with deputies after his roommates say he tried to poison them.
LOS ANGELES - A Santa Clarita man, accused of poisoning his roommates, was taken into custody Tuesday after an hourslong standoff with deputies.
Suspect arrested after standoff
What we know:
Deputies responded to a home on Cedar Ridge Court just before 5 p.m. after residents reported the suspect had returned to the house. Authorities had previously responded to the home on Feb. 23 in connection with food poisoning allegations, but the suspect was not at the location at that time. A report had also been filed in December 2025.
When deputies arrived Tuesday, a standoff ensued and lasted until about 9 p.m., according to the LA County Sheriff's Department.
Officials said the suspect was experiencing a mental health crisis, so a Mental Evaluation Team responded and negotiated with him. He eventually exited the home and was taken into custody.
A search warrant was executed and evidence related to the allegations of poisoning was collected. The suspect was later released to family members after he was issued a citation and a notice to appear in court. The case is pending review by the District Attorney’s Office.
Tenants claim food tampering caught on camera
What they're saying:
The suspect's roommates, Billy and Davidson Hopper, said they contacted deputies after seeing surveillance video from inside their home of the suspect spraying their food.
"Two nights ago, we were reviewing camera footage, which we have a lot of hours, we're probably like 100 plus," Davidson Hopper said. "And I noticed because we were feeling funny and we've gone to the hospital and I have liver damage and she's had health issues on top of the ones that she already has."
Billy Hopper added, "And the doctors didn't know what it was from, they couldn't tell us why."
The couple said the video shows their roommate spraying an unknown liquid on their groceries and pantry items.
"We caught it on video twice," Billy Hopper said. "He was spraying stuff all over our groceries, like our fruit, our vegetables, our coffee pot that we use every morning and our whole pantry full of all of our chips and our cereal, all of our canned goods or spices everything he sprayed it all over everything."
Davidson said the suspect appeared to conceal the container from view.
The tenants said they've experienced repeated health problems in recent months, including hospital visits.
"Back in October, my wife had to go to the E.R.," Davidson said. "They ran all kinds of tests… there's definitely something wrong with your liver, and based on the blood work, it seems like poisoning."
Billy said she also went to the emergency room.
The couple said they had previously contacted authorities about suspected food tampering but did not have video proof at the time.
Prior calls made to the home
Dig deeper:
Authorities confirmed deputies had previously responded to the home in connection with food poisoning allegations. During the earlier response on Feb. 23, the suspect was not on scene.
The couple also accused the suspect of theft and damage to their home. They said they share common areas such as the kitchen but have separate bedrooms and bathrooms.
"We've been in fear of our lives," Billy said. "We don't want to be in fear anymore we're tired of it we I just want to be safe."
The investigation remains ongoing and is pending review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The Source: Information for this story came from the LA County Sheriff's Department and an interview with Billy and Davidson Hopper.