Deputies said a two-hour standoff ended with an arrest after surveillance video was reviewed.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A 42-year-old man was arrested this week after a Santa Clarita couple told deputies that surveillance video appeared to show their roommate spraying bug killer on their food, an allegation that surfaced after months of illness and repeated emergency room visits.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were called Tuesday to a home on Cedar Ridge Court after the couple reported suspected poisoning. Investigators later took the man into custody following a standoff that lasted about two hours. The arrest, and the video the couple says led to it, has raised new questions about how long the alleged contamination may have gone on and what health damage may have resulted.
The couple, Billy Sonhopper and her husband, David Sonhopper, said they began looking for answers after what they described as a string of unexplained symptoms, including chest and stomach pain. They said the illnesses led to multiple trips to the emergency room. David Sonhopper said that during his latest visit, medical staff told him he had liver damage and that his blood work suggested poisoning could be a cause. He said that warning pushed them to take a closer look at security cameras installed at the house.
The surveillance footage, the couple said, showed their roommate, later identified by authorities as Timothy Bradbury, moving through their shared kitchen wearing a gas mask and spraying what looked like a blue can of Raid bug spray onto groceries and produce. The couple said the spraying appeared to include food stored in the pantry. David Sonhopper said they did not immediately know what the substance was when they first watched the video. “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,” he said, adding they wondered whether it was rat poison or wasp spray before focusing on the blue can seen in the footage.
Billy Sonhopper said the scope of what she saw on the recording left her stunned. She said the man appeared to spray “all over our groceries,” including fruit and vegetables, and also the coffee pot the couple uses in the morning. She said the pantry appeared to be targeted as well, with items like chips, cereal, canned goods and spices exposed. The couple said they called deputies after reviewing the footage and connecting it to their pattern of sickness. Authorities have not publicly detailed how much food was affected, what items were collected for testing, or whether any lab results have been completed.
Deputies who responded Tuesday tried to contact Bradbury, but he went inside the home and refused to come out, the Sheriff’s Department said. Authorities said they learned Bradbury has a mental health disability and called the Sheriff’s Department Mental Evaluation Team to the scene. After negotiations that lasted about two hours, Bradbury came out voluntarily and was detained, deputies said. He was arrested on suspicion of willful poisoning of food, drink, medicine or water with the intent to cause injury.
Video from the scene, as described by the couple and shown in local coverage, included gloved deputies moving in and out of the residence. At one point, an investigator was seen removing a blue can that appeared to match the can shown in the surveillance footage from the kitchen. The Sheriff’s Department has not said whether additional items were seized, what evidence will be sent for analysis, or whether the product believed to be used has been confirmed by investigators.
The couple said Tuesday’s call to deputies came after months of conflict in the home, which they said they had reported before but struggled to prove. They said they had contacted law enforcement in the past, but they lacked clear evidence until the surveillance video was reviewed. They also described a series of alleged acts they attributed to Bradbury, including throwing away their food and cutting up their clothes. David Sonhopper said the man destroyed their property and claimed the couple had to replace a car. He also said the man had set a fire in the house, though authorities have not publicly confirmed details about that allegation as part of the poisoning case.
The couple said the owner of the home had been trying to evict Bradbury and that the situation left them on edge even after the arrest. David Sonhopper said the past year in the house had been exhausting. “It’s been hell living with him the past year. It’s been horrible,” he said after the arrest, adding that they were worried about Billy Sonhopper’s health and felt worn down by stress. Billy Sonhopper said they want to feel safe again and no longer live in fear.
Even as they described their fear, the couple said they hope Bradbury receives mental health support. Authorities have not said where Bradbury is being held, whether he has legal representation, or when he is expected to make an initial court appearance. Deputies also have not publicly outlined the next investigative steps, including whether additional charges could be considered based on the couple’s other allegations or whether toxicology testing will be used to link the reported illnesses to any substances found in the home.
As of Thursday morning, the Sheriff’s Department said the investigation remained ongoing, with key questions still unanswered about the extent of the alleged contamination and the timeline of the couple’s symptoms.
Author note: Last updated February 26, 2026.