California fugitive arrested in Laos after eight years, returned to face murder charges

A California fugitive accused of arranging two killings was taken into custody by Laotian authorities in late May and returned to the United States on June 9. The 31-year-old South Korean national had been the subject of an international manhunt since 2018.

He is accused of hiring a hitman in a San Jose murder-for-hire plot that killed an unintended victim in June 2016 and of fatally shooting his friend in a Westminster parking lot in September 2018.

Return and transfer Following coordination between U.S. and Laotian officials, the suspect was flown to Los Angeles International Airport. He was booked into the Anaheim Police Department jail before being transferred to the San Jose Police Department and taken to Santa Clara County the next day.

This marks the first known transfer of a wanted fugitive from Laos to the United States, according to the Orange County District Attorney.

Alleged crimes In the San Jose case, investigators say the suspect hired a hitman who shot the wrong person after the victim stopped in a residential neighborhood. No arrest warrant was issued until evidence was developed. In the Westminster case, the suspect is accused of shooting his friend multiple times in a CVS parking lot following a money dispute.

The shooting occurred in front of the victim’s girlfriend, after which the suspect fled on foot. An arrest warrant was issued in Orange County in November 2018. Prosecutors say the suspect left the country shortly afterward and used fraudulent travel documents while in Laos.

The suspect is expected to be prosecuted first in Santa Clara County before facing charges in Orange County.