Man Accused In Plot To Kill Bay Area Doctors Had Note, Mask, Loaded Guns: Prosecutor

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA -- A man who was arrested last week in Santa Clara County after driving from his Central Valley home with two loaded guns also had notes with locations of his doctors' homes and a typewritten statement about his plans to kill them, prosecutors allege.

Yue Chen, 58, was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers on U.S. Highway 101 at Hellyer Avenue in San Jose around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 31 after the Visalia police put out a statewide bulletin that day for law enforcement agencies to look out for him.

Police in Visalia had also specifically notified the Bay Area law enforcement agencies that had jurisdiction over the home and work locations of Chen's doctors. The Palo Alto Police Department, which announced Chen's arrest, coordinated the investigation between the involved Bay Area law enforcement agencies.

"Detectives developed information that the suspect likely had been intent on going to the doctors’ homes, not their workplaces, to kill them," Palo Alto police said.

According to prosecutor Charles Huang, Chen was arrested in a rented red 2017 Nissan Rogue with a typewritten statement that read, "Why do I kill? Two reasons: 1. Revenge 2. Tell those professionals who are still alive that this is possible result if you treat people as an animal like UCSF or Stanford Hopital [sic]."

Chen was also found with a white rubber mask and two loaded semiautomatic handguns registered to him with high-capacity magazines within his reach.

"We feel like there's pretty good evidence of intent to kill," Huang said. "Usually the evidence is a little more ambiguous."

Officers arrested Chen without incident and took him to a hospital for treatment related to his medical condition. Chen told police he has stage IV cancer, Huang said.

"Good police work led to us finding him and averting what could have been a tremendous tragedy," Huang said.

Chen was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and illegally carrying a loaded firearm, police said.

Chen continued his previously scheduled arraignment to June 28. He is being held without bail.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Photo via Palo Alto Police Department