Suspect of Homicide in New Jersey Caught
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
A 32-year-old prime suspect in connection with the stabbing deaths of three people believed to be Korean was arrested in Los Angeles Sunday, local time, according to a U.S. news paper, The Star-Ledger.
The bodies in question had been found on the outskirts of New York on Friday, local time but the authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the three people. The authorities say the victims' identities would be unveiled later this week.
Choi Kang-hyuk was arrested at 2:51 a.m. Los Angeles time and held without bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
New Jersey officials flew to Los Angels and questioned the suspect Sunday evening, the U.S. paper quoted deputy sheriff Oscar Butao as saying.
The report said the sheriff's department declined to release any further information about the circumstances surrounding Choi's capture, which came two days after the decomposed bodies of a woman and two men ― dead for at least a week ― were discovered Friday. At a home in New York where Choi has lived with his parents, a man who identified himself as Choi's brother said Sunday he knew his brother had been arrested, but did not know the reason exactly.
Prosecutor John L. Molinelli was quoted as telling reporters that the decomposing, multiple stabbed bodies of an elderly man believed to be in his 70s, an elderly woman believed to be in her 50s, and a young man assumed to be in his 20s were found at a house in Tenafly, New Jersey, Friday.
Authorities do not believe the attack was random, but have yet to say why the victims were targeted.
Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Frank Puccio was quoted as telling reporters that investigators hoped to positively identify the victims this week using dental records.