Korean American homicide detective looks back at 2022 gruesome murder that she solved
Korean American homicide detective looks back at 2022 gruesome murder that she solved
On the evening of Aug. 2, 2022, Detective Sharon Kim of the Los Angeles Police Department was called to Martha Street in a residential neighborhood of Woodland Hills. When she headed to the scene, she knew it was a possible home invasion and murder case. But she did not expect a gruesome crime scene that would become her obsession for the next three years. What Kim found at the home was astonishing: an elderly Asian woman in her bedroom -- stabbed, strangled and burned. It was apparent that someone had broken into the woman's house before killing her. "I can honestly say that in my entire career, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a senseless and brutal act of murder," Kim had said a couple of months after the elderly woman was found dead in 2022. The victim, whose face was unrecognizable at the crime scene, was later identified as 81-year-old Ok Ja Kim (no relation to Detective Kim), a Korean American immigrant and a church-going mother and a grandmother with no enemies whatsoever. Because the killer burned Ok Ja Kim's body, there wasn't much DNA evidence left at the scene. There was an ALO hat that the murderer may have left behind at the Woodland Hills home. With little to go on, Detective Kim and Clara Kim, the victim's daughter, held a news conference to plead for the public's help as officials offered a $50,000 reward to catch the killer.
Shooting suspect of Rihanna's Beverly Hills home denied competency hearing by Los Angeles judge
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge refused to send the case of the Florida woman accused of shooting at Rihanna's Beverly Crest area home to mental competency proceedings. After a closed-door hearing on Wednesday, the judge found that there was "not substantial evidence of incompetence" to favor such proceedings. Ivanna Ortiz, 35, is charged with one count of attempted murder, 10 felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and three felony counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. She pleaded not guilty to charges in March. Prosecutors believe Ortiz drove to Rihanna's home from Florida and fired several shots at the residence before speeding away on March 8. L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the gunfire struck Rihanna's home, a camper on the property and another nearby home.
LAPD officers share video from May 2025 Pico-Union hit-and-run that severely injured bicyclist
Los Angeles police have shared video from a hit-and-run as they continue searching for the suspect in the Pico-Union area crash that left a bicyclist with severe injuries last year. It happened at around 3:15 a.m. on May 28, 2025 near 20th Street and Hoover Street as a bicyclist rode through the intersection heading south, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Police Department. As the bicyclist, only identified as a man in his 60s, traveled through the intersection, they were struck by a white sedan that was turning left onto 20th Street from Hoover Street. Instead of stopping to help, detectives say that the driver fled from the area towards the 10 Freeway. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics took the bicyclist to a nearby hospital with severe injuries. After nearly a year of searching for the suspected hit-and-run driver, LAPD officers have shared additional footage from the scene of the crash in hopes that someone who knows more can come forward with additional information.
Man arrested at Chris Brown's Tarzana home for trespassing
A man was arrested Wednesday evening for trespassing at the home of singer Chris Brown, the Los Angeles Police Department tells NBC4 Investigates. According to LAPD, a man was near the area of Brown’s Tarzana home when security asked him to leave. The man left but later returned shortly before 7 p.m. and attempted to climb over the fence to get on the property. Security stopped the man and then held him until the police arrived. When officers arrived, the man was arrested for trespassing. The singer was not home at the time of the incident, according to authorities. The LAPD is sending the case to prosecutors for possible charges. This is not the first incident this month at Brown’s home. A shooting was reported outside of the singer’s San Fernando Valley home earlier this month. Investigators say a woman drove onto the street, allegedly to meet someone, and got into an altercation with a security guard, who then fired a CO2-style handgun at the woman's car, damaging it. Other details about what led up to the dispute were not immediately known.
Parolee taken into custody after entering Woodland Hills home
A parolee was taken into custody after he was seen entering a Woodland Hills home during the early morning hours Thursday. An alert police officer recognized the parolee around 1 a.m. while driving eastbound on the 22000 block of Hatteras Street in the Los Angeles neighborhood. “We were driving eastbound here on Hatteras and saw a gentleman walking inside this address behind me here that is known to be a parolee at large,” Los Angeles Police Department Officer Mellon said at the scene. Mellon said it was his partner who first recognized the parolee, who has been in recent trouble. “He recently got into a hit-and-run where the vehicle that he left at the scene was located with multiple weapons inside,” Mellon said. Officers called for backup and requested an airship after the parolee entered the home. The suspect later came out of the home willingly and was taken into custody. “He appeared to be under the influence,” Mellon said.
2 men wanted in Mexico for serious crimes found, arrested in Southern California
Two men wanted for serious crimes in Mexico, including a former law enforcement officer, were recently found in Southern California and arrested, federal authorities announced Wednesday. The first apprehension occurred on April 29 in the city of El Cajon, east of San Diego. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol stated that agents were acting on information received from foreign law enforcement partners when they located and arrested a man wanted in Mexico for kidnapping and extortion. “The man, a former Mexican law enforcement officer, was residing in the U.S. illegally,” CBP officials said in a media release. He was eventually transferred to Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República — described by CBP as Mexico’s top law enforcement agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting federal crimes — pending an immigration hearing.
‘You will never be forgotten’: Thousands gather to honor 363 fallen officers during 38th Candlelight Vigil
In a steady rain beneath the lights of the U.S. Capitol, families and law enforcement officers gathered to hear 363 names read aloud during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil. The 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil, hosted by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) on May 13, honored 363 fallen officers whose names were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in 2026. The names include 109 officers who died in the line of duty in 2025, along with 254 officers from previous years whose sacrifices were recently verified. “This board commits to you that you will never be forgotten,” said Laurie Sharp Day, board chair of the Memorial Fund. “Speak the names of law enforcement officers who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice. Tell their stories.”
BWC: Suspect fires Tenn. officer’s holstered gun before U.K. cop on vacation stops attack
A Metro Nashville police officer said he feared for his life after a man attacked him and tried to take his gun before a British police sergeant vacationing in the area rushed in to help, video shows. The May 7 incident began when Officer Peter Kinsey spotted a man walking along an interstate exit ramp toward the highway. He issued instructions for the man to stop. When the man kept walking, Kinsey got out of his cruiser and walked over to check on the man. The man then attacked Kinsey, attempting to throw punches and grab his gun. Body camera video released on May 11 shows the man pushing Kinsey to the ground and pinning him. “I’ll use your gun on you,” the man can be heard saying. He was able to get on top of Kinsey and fire a shot from the service weapon while it was still holstered, police said. “It’s probably the closest near-death experience I can say I’ve had ... The [thought] going through my head was just, ‘He’s not going to get my gun away from me, and I’ll just have to hang on until somebody gets here.’” Kinsey said in a later interview.
Public Safety News
Room Catches Fire in Granada Hills Home
A fire in one room of a house in Granada Hills was knocked down by 38 firefighters Wednesday evening with no injuries reported. Firefighters responded at approximately 7:40 p.m. Wednesday to the 12000 block of Gerald Avenue, about a quarter-mile south of Woodley Avenue, where they discovered a house with visible flames, according to Jennifer Middleton of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire was located inside a room, Middleton said, noting that all occupants were accounted for. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Local Government News
Amid Threat to $800M Business Tax, LA Council to Alter Olympic Wage Ordinance
The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday instructed the city attorney to draft amendments to the so-called Olympic Wage Ordinance, as a threat to eliminate the city’s $800 million business tax took another step forward. Council members voted unanimously Wednesday to place on the November ballot a proposed initiative to eliminate the city’s business gross receipts tax. The council opted to let voters decide in the already scheduled November election rather than spend more than $30 million to conduct a special election. “For the record, this is the ballot initiative that ends the gross receipts tax for the city, which amounts to today $800 million, and in the coming years a billion dollars or more of the city budget,” Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said. “So this measure should it appear on the ballot and pass, it hampers our ability to have a city as we know it altogether,” he added.
LA Council Approves Motion to Enhance Red Flag Warnings Ahead of BBQ Season
The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday approved a motion calling on various departments to enhance red flag warning declarations to improve preparedness while carving out some exemptions for outdoor barbecuing. Last week, the council was set to vote on the motion, introduced by members Nithya Raman and Katy Yaroslavsky on Jan. 14, 2025. The matter was rescheduled after concerns were raised about the impact it could have on residents barbecuing in their backyards. In a unanimous vote, the council agreed to advance the motion while taking steps to ensure residents aren’t barred from certain activities during red flag days or red flag warnings. “Let me be clear, wildfire prevention and public safety matter deeply to everybody in the city of Los Angeles, especially as we continue to face growing climate and fire risks,” said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who introduced an amendment to the motion regarding barbecuing.
