Korean Grocer to Be Charged in Attack on Girl
A Korean grocer in Hawthorne will be charged with six misdemeanor counts of assault and child endangerment for allegedly attacking a 12-year-old black girl he accused of stealing candy from his store, City Atty. Mike Adamson said Wednesday.
The charges against Wha Young Choi, 59, were announced two weeks after his arrest by Hawthorne police at his family-run store, Don’s Market, at 4123 W. 120th St. At the time, police also detained the girl, who may be charged with petty theft, authorities said.
The arrest of Choi and the circumstances surrounding his confrontation with the girl have sparked picketing of his market and pointed references by some blacks to the March 16 shooting death of Latasha Harlins, 15, by a Korean-born grocer in Los Angeles.
But the girl’s parents, like Hawthorne authorities, have steered clear of any accusations that Choi’s alleged actions were racially motivated. “If there is any specific concern here, it is not a racial one,” Adamson said.
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