Pierce Student Faces Rape, Beating Charges

A 19-year-old Pierce College student faces rape charges for allegedly holding his ex-girlfriend against her will for three days, raping her repeatedly and beating her so severely with a pipe that patches of her skin came off, authorities said Monday.

Michael Lim of Woodland Hills was arrested about 8 p.m. Sunday night near a Vons market at Ventura and Topanga Canyon boulevards, after he allegedly started hitting the woman in front of witnesses, according to Lt. George Rock of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley Division.

Several onlookers subdued Lim and held him for police officers, who arrested him on suspicion of felony spousal beating and rape, Rock said. The 23-year-old woman, who was not married to Lim but had lived briefly with him at his Warner Center Apartments unit, told police she had moved out because of physical abuse, Rock said.

When authorities took the woman to a local hospital so she could be examined, they said, they found that she was severely bruised from the waist down, and that she had been beaten by something resembling a metal pipe so harshly that muscle tissue was visible in many places.

“One veteran sergeant at the scene said it was the most severe beating he had witnessed in 20 years of police work,” Rock said. “The injuries are very serious. Her skin actually was beaten off by whatever object she was beaten with. You are talking about raw skin tissue.”

Because detectives believed Lim’s parents to be wealthy enough to post significant bail, they took the unusual step of asking a judge to deny him bail pending a hearing. The judge agreed, and Lim was ordered held pending arraignment, scheduled for today.

“All we know is that we were informed that the suspect comes from a wealthy, influential family,” Rock said. “Because of that we asked for a bail deviation, due to the severity and multitude of the crimes, and the apparent ability of the family to bail the suspect out.”

Authorities said the woman had been living apart from Lim but had accompanied him back to the apartment in the 5500 block of Owensmouth Avenue late last week. There, police said, Lim held her against her will and subjected her to repeated beatings and rapes.

Police said the woman arrived from Korea a month ago.

Authorities refused to disclose at which hospital the woman was being treated, but said she was undergoing treatment for severe bruising. Detective Harry Hollywood, who is investigating the case, said the woman was bruised from her waistline to her feet.

“He held her for three days, during which time the suspect beat her with a metal pipe and sexually assaulted her,” Hollywood said.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the case, and may ask that additional charges be filed against Lim, Rock said.

Lim had been living at the apartment complex since August, according to assistant manager Sandy Gay. She said Lim had been renting a one-bedroom unit at $825 a month, and was a “good resident” who never caused problems other than paying rent 20 days late on one occasion.

She said Lim was a Pierce College student and that his lease was co-signed by his father, Robert Y. Lim, who identified himself as a contracting specialist for the U. S. Army, stationed in Korea.

“Nobody’s reported any unusual goings-on here,” Gay said. “If it was something violent, it would be easy to hear.”

A friend of Lim’s also said he was surprised by the allegations.

“He was a nice guy. I’m kind of surprised,” said Sung J. Lim, 18, a Tarzana resident who said he attended classes with Lim. The two are not related.

Sung Lim said he used to get together with Lim about twice a week but that he had not seen him for the past month or two. The friend said that Lim, who drives a Mitsubishi sports car, enjoyed participating in sports, working out in the apartment gym and relaxing with friends.

“I seriously don’t think he was the type with a temper at all,” Sung Lim said. “He was the quiet type.”

Josh Meyer is a Times staff writer. Kay Hwangbo is a special correspondent.