Brother, sister charged with killing man in Cerritos during attempted carjacking
A pair of siblings suspected of fatally shooting a man in Cerritos during an attempted carjacking last month have been charged with murder, prosecutors said Wednesday.
On Feb. 25, Cuauhtemoc Garcia was getting out of his car to take a walk along the Coyote Creek Bike Path, near Don Knabe Park in Cerritos, when the two suspects allegedly approached him around 12:30 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The 66-year-old businessman had been planning to take an afternoon walk along the bike path when he was shot, prosecutors said.
John Chong Moon, 54, and Cindy Kim, 58, allegedly tried to steal Garcia's car, but when he did not hand over the keys, they opened fire, according to prosecutors.
The brother and sister, both residents of La Palma, have each been charged with one count of murder and one count of second-degree robbery. They were scheduled to be arraigned at the Bellflower Courthouse Wednesday.
Prosecutors said investigators identified them as the suspects through a video taken of them and posted to TikTok. Last week, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had released an image of two people authorities were describing as persons of interest.
The department said the two people had been walking in the area of the deadly shooting around the time it happened.
If convicted of all charges, Moon and Kim could face sentences of up to life in prison. Prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $3 million for Moon and $2 million for Kim.
"This was a senseless and brutal act of violence that took the life of a husband, father and businessman who simply wanted to enjoy a peaceful walk," District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement Tuesday announcing the charges. "My sympathies go out to his family as they grieve this unimaginable loss."
