OAKLAND — A man who worked at a Berkeley engineering and research company, charged with poisoning one of his co-workers, had his bail increased to $2 million on Thursday.

David Xu’s defense attorney, Julia Jayne, asked that his bail be set at the previously paid amount of $200,000. But instead, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Yolanda Northridge set it at $2 million on Thursday. The prosecutor, Matt Golde, had asked for $5 million bail.

Xu, 34, is facing three felony charges, including attempted murder resulting in great bodily injury, and two counts of poisoning he is alleged to have committed starting in October 2017 against his colleague and her two relatives.

He also pleaded not guilty to his charges on Thursday.

He was initially arrested and posted $200,000 bail. But because no charges had immediately been filed, police rearrested him March 28 at his Lafayette home.

According to court documents, Xu is accused of putting cadmium in the victim’s food and water on many occasions. Cadmium is a toxic metal and can cause toxicity to the organ system, cancer and/or death.

The woman victim told authorities that she noticed a strange taste or smell from her water and food that she left unattended in her office. She became immediately sick after drinking the water, and at least on one occasion had to go to the hospital for emergency care.

She later put a surveillance camera in her office and twice found video evidence of Xu adding a substance to her water bottle, authorities said. The first tampering happened on Feb. 11, 2019, and the second occurred on March 4. The woman’s relatives also drank from the woman’s bottles in November and December 2018 and also became sick.

Xu has a doctorate in materials science and engineering, and worked as a senior material engineer, an expert witness and a professional mechanical engineer at the Berkeley Engineering and Research on Gilman Street, according to court documents.

He received all his degrees from UC-Berkeley, and was also a certified fire and explosion investigator, and a professional electrical, chemical and mechanical engineer, his attorney Jayne wrote in a bail motion.

He has worked on key litigation in the past, including the San Bruno PG&E pipeline explosion of 2010, and helped work on the Golden Gate Bridge suicide net, his attorney said.

She said he has no past criminal history, owns a home and is married with two children.

His wife, whom he has known for 15 years and met while at school, wrote a letter to the judge, asking for Xu to return home. She called him a “loving husband” and a “great human being” in the letter.

“My children and I miss him dearly!” she wrote.

Related Articles Berkeley: Engineer accused of trying to poison colleague, two others The couple has two children, one age 5 and the other 8 months old. Xu is the sole breadwinner of the family, and takes his older daughter to school, ballet, swimming and gymnastics and ice skating lessons, the motion said.

“His kids are his pride and joy in life,” his wife wrote.

Xu is next scheduled to appear in court in May.

Staff writer Rick Hurd contributed to this story.