California woman charged with murder over husband's death by flagpole
A 65-year-old California woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband with a flagpole at a luxury condominium community. Court documents show she had a recent history of domestic violence.
Sheriff's deputies in Palm Desert responded to an unknown trouble call on 4 September at The Enclave, a luxury condominium community. Upon arrival, they found a person with traumatic injuries consistent with a physical assault, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Vicky Kyung Mi Kim, 65, was taken into custody on suspicion of murder. According to SF Gate, the victim was her spouse. Court documents show her bail has been set at $10 million.
The circumstances leading up to the killing remain unclear, but court records reveal Kim had a recent history of domestic violence. In January, she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of battery against a spouse or cohabitant and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, stemming from a separate incident. She also pleaded guilty to violating a protective order.
KESQ News Channel 3 reported that the couple had previously argued over financial matters and allegations of infidelity.
Molly Smith, a spokesperson for the Riverside county district attorney's office, told SF Gate that prosecutors had charged Kim with a felony in January, secured criminal protective orders, and intended to pursue an aggressive prosecution. However, Smith said in a statement to KESQ that a judge, despite the office's objections, reduced all of Kim's cases to misdemeanors, released her from custody, and terminated the protective orders prosecutors had worked to obtain. The judge involved could not immediately be identified for comment.
