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(See photos of the scissors and duct tape by clcking on the hyperlink at the bottom of this message)


Diamond Bar Home Invasion Robbery Suspect Arrested

Sheriff’s Asian Gang Team investigators use DNA to identify Yong Suk Kim (45), of Torrance, as the suspect in a home invasion robbery case in an affluent gated community in Diamond Bar.

On August 10, 2009, at about 3:00 AM, a Korean-American family of four was terrorized in their own home by a masked man.

The 45-year old mother of three was asleep in her bed when she was awakened by a man standing over her. The masked man threatened to kill her if she did not cooperate with him. As she lay in bed, the victim looked to her seven year old son who was sleeping next to her and saw that his mouth and hands were already bound in duct tape. Knowing her other children were probably asleep in their beds, the woman grabbed a pair of scissors, which were apparently brought into the room by the suspect, lunged, and fought with the suspect in the defense of her other children.

"Blood left at the scene indicated the mother stabbed the suspect with the scissors during the struggle to defend her children," said Sergeant Steve Kim, Sheriff's Asian Gang Team.

The struggle between the mother and suspect continued into the hallway, where the victim began to scream for help.

The woman’s 17-year old daughter heard the commotion and from another room saw her mother fighting with the intruder. The daughter grabbed her cell phone and tried to call 911, but the suspect ran toward her and snatched the phone away, preventing her from calling for help. The woman’s 13-year old son also heard the commotion and came to the aid of his mother. But the suspect overpowered them.

The woman fought with all her might and was able to push the suspect down the flight of stairs. After the suspect fell, and landed on the first floor, he ran out of the house.

Deputies from Walnut Sheriff’s Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, responded to the location and began an extensive search of the area for the suspect, but were unable to locate him.

Investigators from the Sheriff’s Department Operation Safe Streets Bureau – Asian Gang Team were summoned to the scene, and investigated the incident.

During their investigation, investigators found several blood stains inside and outside of the house. Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigators from the Sheriff's Scientific Services Bureau (Crime Lab) were called to the home and collected biological samples and several other pieces of evidence. The biolical evidence was processed and that information was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). However, at the time it was checked, no match was identified.

The case went cold as all the investigators leads did not identify the suspect. However, The DNA profile remained in CODIS, which automatically runs it for a match every time a new DNA profile is inputted.

In December of 2010, sheriff's investigators learned that there was a match on the DNA profile they entered over a year ago. This positive match led them to Suspect Yong Suk Kim, a 45-year old Korean national from Torrance.

Investigators determined Suspect Kim had been arrested by the United States Postal Inspection Service in October of 2010 for bank fraud. Per protocol and the law, Postal Inspectors collected Suspect Kim’s DNA at the time of his booking and entered the DNA profile into CODIS.

The CODIS hit matched.

Suspect Kim is currently being detained at the Federal Bureau of Prisons – Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, awaiting sentencing for the bank fraud case.

A background check by sheriff’s investigators revealed that at the time of the robbery, Suspect Kim lived in the same gated community in Diamond Bar as the victims. Soon after committing the robbery, Suspect Kim moved to the city of Torrance, where he lived until his arrest.

Investigators from the Asian Gang Team interviewed Suspect Kim at the detention center on Friday, March 11, 2011, at which time Suspect Kim confessed to the crime. Suspect Kim admitted that he was financially struggling at the time of this robbery. Investigators will present this case to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office for cosideration of prosecution.

For inquiries about the United States Postal Inspection Service bank fraud case, please contact Postal Inspector / Public Information Officer, Renee Focht at 626-405-1285.


Sergeant Steven Kim
Operation Safe Streets Bureau -Asian Gang Team
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
(310) 603-3100
www.lasd.org


Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
(323) 267-4800
[email protected]
www.lasd.org

Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

(See photos of the scissors and duct tape by clcking on the hyperlink below)