A preliminary court hearing has been set for the Huntsman Cancer Institute employee accused of assaulting his female coworker with a rubber mallet.
Qin Cai is charged with aggravated kidnapping, a first degree felony; attempted murder, a second degree felony; and stalking, a Class A misdemeanor.
The hearing will take place Nov. 27 in the Third District Court before Judge Paul Maughan.
Cai was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail with bail set at more than $250,000. However, even if bail is posted, Cai will not be released because he was placed under an immigration detainer. This means that if he is released from custody, he will be reported to federal authorities who could potentially deport him because he is likely an illegal immigrant, said Lori Haley, public information officer at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Thirty-year-old Cai was taken into custody after being accused of assaulting a 41-year-old female employee at the Biomedical Polymers Research Building in October.
The victim’s name was not released because of an ongoing investigation, said Sgt. Bob Garner of the U Police Department. However, Garner said the victim and Cai were acquaintances.
Police reported that the victim and Cai worked together before he transferred to the cancer institute.
Linda Aagard, spokesperson for the cancer institute, declined to comment because of ongoing legal proceedings.
Officers at the campus police department first received a call from a man who said he was talking to his wife on the other line when he heard a scream and realized the connection had been lost. He attempted to call back, but she did not answer, U Police Sgt. Lynn Rohland said in a written statement.
Police checked the area where the woman usually parks at the fourth level of the Genetic parking terrace, but did not find the woman or her car. As officers searched the surrounding area, the woman approached them in her car to ask for help.
The woman was struck on her face and the back of her head with a rubber mallet, police reported. She was admitted and then released from the U Hospital.
“It appears the suspect had strong feelings for the victim, but when the victim did not reciprocate those feelings, he became angry with her,” Rohland said in a written statement. “The suspect had contact with the victim at least once during the day prior to the assault.”