Venice: Eun Kang, 38

 

Eun Kang, a 38-year-old Korean woman, died Tuesday, Dec. 8, after she was raped and stabbed in the 1600 block of Electric Avenue in Venice, authorities said. 

At the time of her death Kang was pregnant with twins. One was a boy, the other's gender was not listed in coroner's records. Kang was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m., and the unborn child listed as a boy was pronounced dead three minutes later.

Ed Winter, a spokesman for the coroner's office, said the second unborn child was discovered by coroner's examiners the next day so the time of death is listed as 3:10 p.m. Dec 9.

-- Anthony Pesce

The following is an excerpt from L.A. Now coverage of the killings: Suspect charged in rape, slaying of pregnant Venice woman spent time at state mental facility

Boneetio Kentro Washington, of Culver City, who is accused of raping and fatally stabbing a Venice woman who was four and half months pregnant with twins, spent time at a state mental facility earlier this year, according to law enforcement sources.

[A previous version of this post incorrectly said Kang was two months pregnant at the time of her death.]

LAPD detectives said they are trying to determine whether he is connected to other crimes in the area.

Washington has been arrested and charged with capital murder.

Police said they believe the attack was random and that Kang didn’t know Washington. Santiago Ortiz, 62, who lived in the same apartment complex as Kang, said he did not see her very often because “she worked all the time.”

He said that when she ran into him, she always said hello with a smile. Ortiz said Kang moved in several years ago and lived in the apartment by herself.

“She was quiet and friendly,” he said. “I felt very sad that something so disturbing happened to her. It’s terrible.”

-- Andrew Blankstein and My-Thuan Tran in Los Angeles, Robert Faturechi and Robert J. Lopez in Venice

Follow The Homicide Report on Twitter @latimeshomicide.

Photo: A memorial with incense and fresh flowers sits outside the home of Eun Kang. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Map: The location where Eun Kang was attacked. Click for the Venice Mapping L.A. page to learn more about the demographics of the neighborhood.

Comments

[Kenny]

I hope the killer gets the death sentence.

[Viv]

She was 18 weeks pregnant (4 1/2 months) not 2 months.

[sqwakvfr]

RIP Ms Kang. I hope you and your twins are together in heaven. Her savage murder got very little media coverage and the community seems almost numb to this kind of savagery. Please say a prayer for this special person.

[Megan Garvey]

Viv: Thank you for the heads up. The Times had reported that she was four months pregnant in most of the coverage but said two months in the L.A. Now post referenced above. We will correct the error.

Megan Garvey
Los Angeles Times

[davidozone]

Wait a minute people.Don't go playing God.We have 2 victims here.Washington is a victim of this economy.How should this American man feel along with his 7 generations of of forefathers whom I am sure served in every war after WW2,Built this country from Cotton & Railroad days to the present President.Feel if they realized a woman from a foriegn land is much more adept at financial prosperity and freedom.The system should be set up to encourage and indocrinate Mr.Washington to that level.But No!this system does that for newly arrived immigrants.foriegners.As long as it is this way we will have African-Americans and White people acting out in this futile and defeated fashion.And spare me us with your prententious heartfelt prayers.

[KLO]

This alleged murderer appears to be very mentally ill. He spent time at a state mental hospital because he was found incompetent to stand trial on a previous charge. I think his mental illness and apparent antisocial traits had more to do with this savage crime than the economy. I find it insensitive and insipid that a person would write more about the alleged murderer's 'victimhood' than the deceased woman. The victim here is the poor woman who was raped and stabbed to death. It is hard for me to think about the terror that she experienced.

[syscom3]

davidozone, youre joking right?

[SJ]

davidozone,

You can't be serious? If you are serious OMG!!!

[scheng1]

I hope lightning strikes the killer. Let him be judged by Higher power.

[Sergio V.]

davidozone...are you O.K.?

[Joe]

The killer is an animal. If a person is attacked by bear in the forest, they put the animal down. I have no tolerance, let alone sympathy, for rapists, murders... and zenophobia.

[syscom3]

Joe, its "xenophobia", not zenophobia.

And what does xenophobia have to do with this homicide?