Police Spot but Fail to Catch Kidnap Suspect

One of the suspects in the kidnapping of a 10-year-old boy from his La Palma apartment Tuesday was spotted by police Wednesday but managed to elude them.

Police said Hui Won Chong, a 50-year-old acquaintance of the victim’s family, was seen at Vermont Avenue and Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles, driving a maroon four-door Toyota Tercel. A short chase followed, and Chong escaped, police said.

Chong is suspected of being “the instigator behind this whole thing,” Capt. Vince Giampa said.

About 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, five men stormed into an apartment in the 7700 block of Valley View Avenue and abducted Phillip Kim, who was bound, gagged and then driven to Los Angeles County, police said. Information from Phillip’s parents and a subsequent phone call to the apartment, possibly from the boy, led police to Koreatown, where they found Phillip unharmed about four hours later.

His abductors were not at the building.

By Wednesday, police had identified both Chong and a 16-year-old as suspects. Authorities linked the teenager to the crime through a passport he apparently left behind in the victim’s apartment, Giampa said. He remains at large.

Chong, who is considered armed and dangerous, also drives a white Cadillac, license number 3TDC285, police said. Chong has known the Kim family for about two years, and although no kidnapping motive has been established, authorities believe he was trying to extort money, Giampa said.

Phillip’s parents had received no ransom demand by the time detectives found their son, police said.

Phillip’s father, Jeum Soo Kim, 34, and mother, Yeon Soon Kim, 31, told investigators they did not owe Chong money and didn’t know why they would be the targets of extortion, Giampa said. Jeum Kim is an exterminator and Yeon Kim is a waitress.

Three other people, each believed to be about 20 years old, are also being sought by police in connection with the kidnapping. They have not been identified.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the suspects or the kidnapping to call (714) 523-4552, Ext. 210 for English-speaking callers or Ext. 209 for callers who speak Korean.