Rushed to the Scream and Subdued... 'Korean Taekwondo Family' Saves Girl from Sexual Assault Threat

After the director leads the capture of the suspect, they hand them over to the police

A Korean family running a Taekwondo academy in Texas, USA, is being praised for saving a teenage girl from a sexual assault attempt.

The 'Taekwondo Family' who rushed to the scene after hearing screams, subdued the perpetrator, and handed him over to the police

An Han-ju (center) and family who subdued a sexual assault offender in Texas, USA. [Image source=Captured from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez's X (formerly Twitter)]

On the 19th (local time), Ed Gonzalez, Harris County Sheriff responsible for security in the Houston area of Texas, introduced on his X (formerly Twitter) account the brave actions of An Hanju (59), the head of 'Yongin Taekwondo' on the outskirts of Houston, and his family, saying, "A group of good Samaritans rushed to save a crime victim."

At around 4 p.m. on the 18th, the An family heard a woman’s scream from a store next to their Taekwondo academy. They immediately ran over and subdued Alex Robinson (19), who was attempting to sexually assault a 17-year-old female employee, rescuing the victim. Sheriff Gonzalez explained, "When the police officers arrived at the scene, the Taekwondo instructors were holding the male suspect down on the floor," adding, "According to the investigation, when the instructors separated the victim from the perpetrator, he started attacking them, but they were able to subdue and detain him using the techniques they had trained in regularly." He also expressed gratitude, saying, "Thanks to Yongin Taekwondo for their prompt action to protect the victim." The perpetrator Robinson was charged with illegal confinement and attempted sexual assault of the woman, as well as assaulting An and others who tried to subdue him. This incident was widely reported in major U.S. daily newspapers.

Father leads, two sons subdue the perpetrator... Mother and daughter block the perpetrator’s escape and protect the victim

An Hanju’s wife, An Hongyeon, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency, "I didn’t expect things to escalate this much," adding, "We just helped a girl in danger. I think we just did what we had to do." On the day of the incident, the An family arrived at the academy shortly after 2 p.m., and from then on, they found a man they hadn’t seen before suspiciously inside the neighboring store. Hongyeon said, "The reflection in the store window looked suspicious, so my husband told the kids to check it out, but suddenly we heard a woman’s scream and immediately ran inside," adding that when they entered the store, they saw the man dragging the female victim into a storage-like room.

First, An Hanju, the Taekwondo master and father, quickly subdued the suspect using Taekwondo techniques, followed by his two sons, Simon (Hyungbin, 20) and Christian (Seonghun, 18), who assisted him. During the subduing process, the perpetrator bit An’s arm, causing injury. While the father and sons subdued the perpetrator, Hongyeon and their daughter Hanna (Hyeonjeong, 22) immediately locked the door to prevent the perpetrator from escaping and brought the victim safely to the academy for protection.

"We acted instinctively like the children of part-time workers at the neighboring store... It’s not a big deal, but I hope Taekwondo becomes better known"

An, a graduate of Yongin University’s Taekwondo department, has taught Taekwondo for over 30 years, but according to Hongyeon, this was the first time he used martial arts in an actual crime scene. When asked if it was dangerous because the perpetrator might have been armed with a gun or knife, Hongyeon said, "It was indeed reckless," but added, "My husband has practiced Taekwondo for a long time, and since the part-time workers at that store are like our own children, we just ran in without thinking about anything else." An Hanju holds an 8th Dan in Taekwondo and 6th Dan in Hapkido; their daughter Hanna and sons Simon and Christian each hold 5th Dan in Taekwondo, and Hongyeon holds 4th Dan, making the entire family black belts in Taekwondo.

Son Simon said, "It happened so suddenly, and my father took the lead in subduing the suspect," adding, "The suspect tried everything to escape but couldn’t move until the police arrived." He also said, "I’m glad our family’s Taekwondo skills could be of help." Hongyeon expressed a modest hope, saying, "We didn’t do anything big, but I hope this incident helps Taekwondo become better known."