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Cancer Patient Accused Of Plotting To Kill His Bay Area Doctors

PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- A 58-year-old man with stage four cancer was arrested as he traveled to the Bay Area to allegedly gun down three doctors who had treated him, authorities said.

Palo Alto police say Visalia resident Yue Chen is being held in the Santa Clara County Main Jail on three counts of attempted murder and firearm charges.

According to investigators, the Visalia Police Department received a 911 call saying Chen was armed and headed to the Bay Area to kill three of his doctors as a result of becoming upset about his medical condition and medical treatment he had received.

Further investigation determined Chen had rented a car and was missing as were his two legally-owned handguns.

Visalia police contacted multiple law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area that had jurisdiction over the work locations of the targeted doctors, as well as other doctors who had treated the suspect.

Police also took precautions to identify the home residences of the involved doctors, in case the suspect chose to target them there.

They also issued a bulletin to police agencies throughout the state to be on the lookout for the suspect.

On Wednesday, May 31 at about 7:48 p.m., the California Highway Patrol located and stopped Chen on Highway 101 and Hellyer Avenue in San Jose. He had been driving a red 2017 Nissan Rogue rental car.

Officers located two loaded semi-automatic handguns with high-capacity magazines (32 and 16 rounds, respectively) in the car within reach of the suspect.

Chen was arrested without incident and transported him to a local hospital for treatment related to his medical condition.

Detectives developed information that Chen likely had been intent on going to the doctors' homes to kill them.

Palo Alto police Lt. James Reifschneider said, "This guy was clearly set on violence. He was armed and ready to do it...He felt as though his condition was worsening or certainly not improving, and he blamed these doctors for his plight."

When the suspect was discharged from the hospital, Palo Alto police took him into custody.

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