Two daughters of a slain Parkland man have sued their stepmother, who is accused of stabbing her husband in the back during an argument, Pierce County Superior Court records show.
The pair filed a wrongful death lawsuit Feb. 7 against Youngmi Shin, who was charged in early December with two counts of second-degree domestic-violence murder.
The victim, 62-year-old Jay Choi, was the owner and operator of an HVAC business in Pierce County, according to charging documents.
Shin, 52, is alleged to have fatally stabbed Choi at their residence in the 10200 block of Ainsworth Avenue South on Nov. 27 before asking a neighbor a few houses down to call 911. She has pleaded not guilty.
“When (the neighbor) opened the door, she saw the defendant standing there with blood on her hands,” charging documents said.
Shin told deputies that the two, who had been married for eight years, got into an argument after Choi purportedly drank heavily and she tried to prevent him from leaving their home, which is apparently adjacent to or near a workshop, according to charging papers. Shin, who told authorities that she had consumed two beers, had hidden keys to their vehicles, the documents said.
She accused her husband of grabbing her hair and punching her in the face prior to walking outside, charging papers showed. She later told detectives that the killing was in self-defense — an admission of participation that prosecutors noted could not be used in court because it occurred after Shin had invoked her right to an attorney.
The suit brought by Choi’s daughters from a previous marriage, including one who is the administrator of his estate, cited charging papers that said Shin was observed by responding deputies as “holding and on top of a male on the ground” upon their arrival.
Choi was pronounced dead at the scene.
The complaint claims wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress, among other things, saying the civil action was initiated “for personal injuries, loss of love and companionship for (their) father and for injuries and destruction of the parent-child relationship,” the suit said.
Choi left behind no will, according to the complaint.
An attorney representing Choi’s children in the lawsuit didn’t respond to an inquiry seeking comment by early Friday afternoon.
On Friday, the court rejected Shin’s defense’s motion to dramatically reduce bail, which has been set at $1 million since she was charged, court records show. One of Choi’s children alleged in a filing opposing the motion that Shin presented “a serious flight risk,” had connections to people with criminal ties and had a history of engaging in fraudulent marriages for purposes of immigration.
“The grief my family, as well as my father’s friends, are enduring is unimaginable, and we will never fully heal from this profound loss,” the court filing said.
Shin didn’t have an attorney on record in the civil matter as of Friday. Two court-appointed attorneys representing her in the criminal case didn’t immediately return a message Friday.
The suit is seeking unspecified damages, attorney fees and an order blocking Shin from receiving any assets.
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