City Council Offers $50,000 Reward to Help Solve Murder Mystery Near Universal Studios

On Nov. 19 at around 12:45 a.m., Jong Kim pulled into his driveway at 10657 Chiquita St. near Universal Studios after closing the liquor store he owned in Lawndale. There, police say, he was confronted by multiple males outside his home, who shot him multiple times and fled on foot to a nearby alley and sped away in a 1988-1992 Honda Prelude.

Kim was rushed to a nearby hospital and died several days later.

Now, with few leads except for grainy security camera footage of that Honda Prelude, Los Angeles District 4 City Councilmember Tom Labonge, who represents the neighborhood Kim was killed in, introduced a motion which the L.A. City Council passed Wednesday for a $50,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the killers responsible for Kim's death.

LaBonge was joined at Los Angles City Hall by District 2 L.A. City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, Capt. Justin Eisenberg of the LAPD North Hollywood Division, Lt. Alan Hamilton of the North Hollywood Division, and the victim's wife, for a press conference announcing the reward.

According to LaBonge's office, Kim had around $3,000 in his pocket at the time he was shot, which leads police to believe that robbery was not the motive. Police stressed that they needed the public's help in identifying the getaway vehicle.

"The vehicle is very distinctive. It's a two-tone, 1988 to 1992 Honda Prelude with a sunroof," said Eisenberg. "It has after-market rims and a modified exhaust. You can see, it also has unusual paint on it. It could be a custom paint job or it could be primer."

Hamilton added that police were "100 percent" certain that the men that shot Kim fled in this vehicle. Police believe three males were involved in the crime.

Kim's residence was located on a quiet, suburban-like street lined with single-family homes just off Lankershim Boulevard about one block north of the Los Angeles river.

"Mr. Kim lived in an area that is not accustomed to being affected by violence of this type," said Krekorian.

The residence where the crime occurred lies in an area that is often referred to as being in different Los Angeles neighborhoods because the borders of several official L.A. neighborhoods and Universal Studios all meet in that area along Lankershim. When North Hollywood-Toluca Lake Patch and Studio City Patch in November, the location was identified as Studio City. In the press release announcing the reward, the location was referred to as being in North Hollywood. At the press conference, police referred to the crime as having occurred in Toluca Lake. According to a map of its boundaries, the crime occurred on a block represented by the Studio City Neighborhood Council.

Anyone with information about this crime is encouraged to call Detective Mark O'Donnell of Los Angeles Police Department North Hollywood Homicide at (818) 623-4075.