A 43-year-old North Carolina school therapist, Cheryl Gates, is accused of stalking and attempting to murder her estranged husband. Allegedly, Gates placed a tracking device on his vehicle and tried to poison him.
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According to a release issued by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), Gates was arrested by the CMPD’s Domestic Violence Unit. She is charged with attempted murder, contaminating food or drink to render one mentally incapacitated or physically helpless, stalking, and damage to property.
An arrest warrant obtained by WBTV alleged that Gates put prescription medication in her husband’s Celsius energy drink. Before this, she had asked ChatGPT to “research lethal and incapacitating drug combinations that could be ingested and injected,” the warrant detailed.
Additionally, the woman is accused of stalking her estranged husband by placing a tracking device on his vehicle. She also allegedly broke the man’s window, which led to the damage to property charge.
A School Therapist, Arrested
The CMPD release detailed that Cheryl Gates is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) employee. Her alleged crimes occurred off school property, and they did not involve any student, teacher, or facility, the police said.
The CMS website still has an active page for Gates, which identifies her as a “passionate” pediatric occupational therapist. She has worked in pediatrics since 2006 and has a “special love” for working with kids, her bio reads.
“In my free time I enjoy planning fun events, coming up with new adventures, and spending quality time with my husband and two children,” Gates added.
As per WBTV, Cheryl Gates is being held without bond following her attempted murder arrest, which occurred on October 10.
Meanwhile, concerned parents have expressed their fears of having Gates employed at CMS. It is currently unknown if she is still employed as a therapist.
“It’s definitely surprising that somebody in that capacity that is there to help others would do something, that type of crime, especially,” Quemella Holland, a concerned parent, told WSOC-TV.
This sentiment was echoed by Laurie Leebrick, who said, “She never should have been around kids at all. They should have done better background checks.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.