"Usually Ignored" 30s Parking Attendant Who Killed Building Owner Arrested After Escape

Motel Owner Who Hired Parking Attendant Arrested on Evidence Tampering Charges
Police: "Plan to Investigate Conspiracy and Case Details"

A man in his 30s who fled after killing the building owner in a building where he worked in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was arrested by the police.

On the 13th, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station announced that they had urgently arrested a man in his 30s, Kim, at Gangneung Station, Gangwon Province, at 9:32 p.m. the previous day on suspicion of murder.

According to the police, Kim is suspected of stabbing and killing Mr. A, an octogenarian building owner, on the rooftop of a building in Yeongdeungpo-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, around 10 a.m. the previous day. The police believe that Kim, who worked as a parking attendant in the building, committed the crime out of resentment because Mr. A had habitually ignored him.

After the crime, Kim hid in a motel in the adjacent building and then moved to Yongsan Station around 5:30 p.m. the same day, fleeing by taking the KTX bound for Gangneung. The police tracked Kim’s escape route and, in cooperation with the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency and Gangwon Police Agency, apprehended him at Gangneung Station four hours after the escape.

The police also urgently arrested and are investigating Mr. Jo, a man in his 40s and the motel owner, on charges of destroying evidence by deleting CCTV footage that showed Kim’s escape route. Jo had been renting parking lot space from Mr. A for a deposit of 10 million won and a monthly rent of 1.2 million won, and in April 2020, he employed Kim as a motel manager and parking attendant.

During police investigations, Kim and Jo have each admitted only to the murder charge and the CCTV deletion charge, respectively, and have not provided further detailed statements. A police official said, "We plan to investigate whether the two conspired and the events before and after the crime."