Police arrest Visalia man accused of plotting to kill 3 Bay Area doctors

FRESNO, Calif. -- Palo Alto police say a 58-year-old Central Valley man was arrested last week after driving from his home in Visalia to the Bay Area with the alleged intent to kill his doctors.

The case that led to the arrest of Yue Chen started last Wednesday morning when Palo Alto police received a call from Visalia police about a man who may be driving to the Bay Area to murder three of his doctors after becoming upset about his medical condition and treatment.

Officials reported Tuesday that Chen has stage 4 cancer.

Visalia police had contacted multiple police departments in the Bay Area that had jurisdiction over the work and home locations of the doctors, and also put out a bulletin statewide for law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the suspect.

At 7:48 p.m. Wednesday, Palo Alto police received a call from the California Highway Patrol after officers had located and stopped the suspect, identified as Chen, on U.S. Highway 101 and Hellyer Avenue in San Jose, police said.

Chen was driving a rental car, a red 2017 Nissan Rogue, and had two loaded semi-automatic handguns with high-capacity magazines inside the vehicle within reach of him, according to police.

Officers arrested Chen without incident and took him to a hospital for treatment related to his medical condition. He was later booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and illegal carrying of a loaded firearm, police said.

If you have any information on this case, you are asked to contact the Palo Alto Police Department at Chen (650) 329-2413 or send an anonymous tip to paloalto@tipnow.org or (650) 383-8984.