Vicky Kyung Mi Kim, 65, was arrested on suspicion of murder after her husband was found fatally injured with a flagpole at The Enclave in Palm Desert on September 4. Court records show Kim's bail is set at $10 million. Records also show prior January guilty pleas to misdemeanor domestic-violence charges and a protective-order violation. Riverside County prosecutors say they had sought felony charges and protective orders that a judge later reduced to misdemeanors.
California Woman Arrested After Husband Found Fatally Injured With Flagpole in Palm Desert
The incident occurred in Palm Desert, California. Reports said the victim was Kim's spouse.Photograph: Jeremy Poland/Getty Images
A 65-year-old woman, Vicky Kyung Mi Kim, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after authorities say her husband was found fatally injured with a flagpole at a luxury condominium complex in Palm Desert.
Incident Details
On September 4, Palm Desert sheriff's deputies responded to an "unknown trouble call" at The Enclave. Officers discovered an individual with traumatic injuries consistent with a physical assault and pronounced the person dead at the scene. The victim has been identified as Kim's spouse. Kim was taken into custody on suspicion of murder, and court records show her bail has been set at $10 million.
Legal History
Court filings indicate Kim has a recent history of domestic violence. In January she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of battery of a spouse or cohabitant and inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, and she also admitted violating a protective order in a separate matter.
Prosecutor Comments
Molly Smith, a spokesperson for the Riverside County district attorney's office, told reporters: "In January of this year, our office charged Ms. Kim with a felony, obtained criminal protective orders, and intended to aggressively prosecute her for her crimes against her husband."
Smith added that prosecutors objected after a judge resolved those earlier cases as misdemeanors, released Kim from custody, and terminated the protective orders the office had sought to obtain.
Current Status
Investigators have not released details about what led to the fatal encounter. The judge who handled the prior matters could not be immediately reached for comment. The criminal investigation into the September 4 incident is ongoing.
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