Bank fraud suspect identified as attacker in bloody Diamond Bar home invasion

A 45-year-old man awaiting sentencing on federal bank fraud has been identified as the suspect in a bloody 2009 home invasion robbery in a gated community in Diamond Bar.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department's Asian Gang Team investigators used DNA to identify Yong Suk Kim of Torrance as the suspect in the case. The attack against a Diamond Bar family had been classified as a cold case for more than a year until Kim's arrest in the bank fraud case in October resulted in a DNA match.

Sheriff's Department officials said that around 3 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2009, a 45-year old mother of three was awakened by a masked man standing beside her bed. He threatened to kill her if she did not cooperate.

But when the woman noticed that her 7-year-old son, who was sleeping next to her, already had his hands and mouth bound with duct tape, she grabbed a pair of scissors, which were apparently brought into the room by the intruder, authorities said.

"Blood left at the scene indicated the mother stabbed the suspect with the scissors during the struggle to defend her children," said Sgt. Steve Kim of the Asian Gang Team. According to officials, the struggle between the mother and the intruder continued into the hallway, where the woman began to scream for help.

Her 17-year old daughter was roused by the commotion, and from another room saw her mother
fighting with the masked man, authorities said. The daughter grabbed her cell phone and tried to call 911, but the intruder allegedly ran toward her and snatched the phone away. The woman’s 13-year old son also came to the aid of his mother. But the intruder overpowered both teenagers, police said.

The mother was finally able to push the assailant down a flight of stairs, and he ran from the house.

Using blood samples from the scene, investigators were able to obtain a DNA sample they said matched Yong Suk Kim, who had lived in the same gated community at the time of the attack but had moved to Torrance shortly afterward.

Kim was arrested by the United States Postal Inspection Service in October 2010 on suspicion of bank fraud. He is detained in federal prison in Los Angeles awaiting sentencing.

-- Margot Roosevelt

Comments

[Brock]

Thank God there were no fatalities among the family members. Terrifying.

[mikeohara]

Yay, mom! Get a loud dog and a handgun and you're all set. Once someone invades your home or threatens your family, all bets are off.

[Homes in orange county]

Thanks for the great post. Its such a nice post. I loved it.

[bigdad59]

Good for D.N.A.

[mike pard]

This animal should be starved to the point of death then brought back ten starved again, etc,etc.