Home Invasion Cold Case Cracked, Suspect Lived in Gated Community

A man arrested for bank fraud in October of 2010 was identified by DNA evidence confessed Friday to a violent home invasion in The Country that occurred in August of 2009.

Sheriff's reported that a mother and her children struggled for their lives during the home invasion in which the mother stabbed the suspect with a pair of scissors, allowing investigators to later take a blood sample that was filed into an FBI database. 

That blood sample was linked to 45-year-old Yong Suk Kim of Torrance.

Investigators found that Kim was living in the gated community and said he was struggling financially at the time of the home invasion, which occurred near the 200 block of Rusty Spur Lane, according to a KABC report of the incident.

Kim said he moved to Torrance shortly after, where he lived until his arrest in October.

According to Sheriff's reports, the victim of the crime awoke early at 3 a.m. on August 10, 2009 to a masked man standing over her bed and turned to find that her 7-year-old son, who was laying next to her, had his mouth and hands bound in duct tape.

The woman grabbed grabbed a pair of scissors she said were brought into the room by the suspect and lunged at the masked man.

The struggle continued into the hallway where the victim screamed for help. Her 17-year-old daughter attempted to call 911 but was stopped by the suspect as was the woman's 13-year-old son, who tried to fight off the masked man.

The woman ultimately pushed the suspect down a flight of stairs and the suspect then fled the scene.

Sheriff's from the Operation Safe Streets Bureau and the Asian Gang Team reported to the scene but did find any suspects.

A blood sample was taken by the Sheriff's Scientific Services Bureau and entered into a national database but no match was found at that time. 

The case was cold until Sheriff's investigators were alerted to a DNA match for the suspect in December, after Kim's information was entered into evidence in connection with the bank fraud arrest.

Investigators will now present the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney for consideration of prosecution.

Kim is currently being held at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.

Correction: a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the suspect, Yong Suk Kim, was arrested Friday. On Friday, Kim confessed to the crime during an interview with the L.A. Sheriff's Asian Gang Team. Kim was arrested in October 2010 on charges of bank fraud. The story reflects this correction.