A Korean American man in his 40s has been arrested for kidnapping, torturing with a knife, and sexually assaulting a woman.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) arrested Edward Kim, 42, on November 16 on a spate of felonies, including first-degree kidnapping involving sex, first-degree arson, and sexual assault with a deadly weapon.
According to police, Kim’s crimes came to light after the victim, who was being held at Kim’s apartment, managed to escape. The woman was found on a street in downtown Las Vegas, covered in blood with severe injuries to her hands, feet, and chest, by a neighbor who called 911.
The woman was taken to a nearby hospital emergency room by Clark County firefighters who responded to the scene. There, she told medical personnel that she had been held captive in Kim’s apartment for two days.
Upon examination, the woman suffered serious injuries, including fractures to both kneecaps, her forearm, right leg, left finger, and hip bone. In particular, medical personnel reported to police that the woman’s hair had been torched and that her leg had seven stab wounds, in addition to the fractures, indicating signs of torture.
LVMPD responded to Kim’s apartment, where the victim was being held, and after searching the area, they apprehended him in a nearby parking lot.
According to the woman’s statement to the police, over the course of two days, Kim tortured her by tying her up with cable ties, assaulting her repeatedly with bolt cutters, and setting her hair on fire with a torch lighter. Police also learned that Kim sexually assaulted the woman. According to the police, Kim recorded the process on his smartphone without the victim’s consent.
Police recovered bolt cutters, cable ties, and security camera footage from Kim’s apartment that appeared to be used in the assault. At the time of his arrest, Kim admitted that the woman was in his home, but rambled, saying “we were just messing with each other,” “I don’t remember what happened,” and “it’s not a crime,” according to police.
Kim had an outstanding arrest warrant for first-degree arson, according to police. Kim, who is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center, is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on December 5.
BY HAEUN CHUNG, JUNHAN PARK [chung.haeun@koreadaily.com]
