School therapist stalked and tried poisoning her ex: Cops
Share and Follow

Cheryl Gates (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office).

A North Carolina school therapist has been charged with attempted murder and stalking for allegedly trying to poison an ex who she’d been obsessively “tracking” and harassing, cops say.

Cheryl Gates, 43, was taken into custody on Friday and charged in connection with the alleged targeting of her estranged husband, according to an arrest warrant prepared by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and viewed by Law&Crime.

Gates has been accused of contaminating food and drink to render one mentally incapacitated or physically helpless — a felony — though it’s unclear what chemical she used exactly to try and kill her former spouse. Local ABC affiliate WSOC reports that the two are separated.

Gate’s arrest warrant outlines what led to her stalking charge.

“The defendant unlawfully and willfully did without legal purpose, on more than one occasion harass [Gates’ husband] by placing a tracking device on his vehicle,” the warrant alleges. “The defendant knew and should have known that the harassment, course of conduct would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of the person’s immediate family.”

Police officials announced the charges in a press release, which identified Gates as an employee of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) district. WSOC and other local outlets report that she’s a pediatric therapist.

“On Friday, Oct. 10, detectives with CMPD’s Domestic Violence Unit located and arrested Gates,” the release says. “This incident occurred off school property and did not involve any student, teacher or facility.”

In total, Gates is facing four charges: attempted murder, contaminating food and drink to render one mentally incapacitated or physically helpless, stalking, and property damage. Gates is accused of breaking a window that police describe as “the property” of her ex, according to court documents. It’s unclear if she’s still a school employee.

“It’s definitely surprising that somebody in that capacity that is there to help others would do something, that type of crime, especially,” parent Quemella Holland, whose child is in the CMS system, told WSOC.

Gates was initially booked on the stalking and property damage charges last Tuesday before being released and arrested again on Friday for attempted murder. She was still in jail Sunday and CMPD officials say the investigation is active and ongoing.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Man Accused of Fatally Stabbing Parents at Family-Owned Deli

Inset: Vito Dambrosio (Nassau County Police Department). Background: The deli owned by…

Unbelievable Bank Blunder: Man Caught Sending Meth Through Drive-Thru Tube

Jason Smith (Monroe County Sheriff”s Office). In a rather unconventional turn of…

Manhunt Intensifies: Louisiana Murder Suspect Escapes St. Landry Parish Jail

Authorities in Louisiana are on high alert as one inmate remains at…

Gainesville Woman Arrested After Alleged Metal Pipe Assault and Window Vandalism Rampage

By Staff Reporter GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In the early hours today, Dai-Janea…

Florida Man Arrested for Stalking and Throwing ‘Fireballs’ at Teen’s Home, Deputies Report

Inset: Alex Buley-Neumar (Livingston County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The Livingston County Jail…

Shocking Florida Tale: Woman Accused of Concealing Xanax in Unusual Places

Inset: Kaylie Poe (Flagler County Sheriff”s Office). Background: A woman identified as…

Daughter Confronts Father in Court Over Mother’s Death

Inset left: Antonio Saldana (Fresno County District Attorney’s Office). Inset right: Lisa…

Gainesville Woman Charged After Allegedly Striking Victim with Vehicle Following Gun Threat

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a dramatic and unsettling incident, Anquitte Latifah Quinn,…