Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect they connected to a January stabbing that left a beloved liquor store owner near Downtown Long Beach partially paralyzed.
The stabbing happened at around 11:50 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 30, when a man wearing a red Adidas tracksuit entered Frank’s Liquor in the 900 block of East Broadway and stabbed the owner, Kim Lee, multiple times. The man fled on foot before officers responded to the scene.
🚨WANTED SUSPECT: #LBPD is seeking the public’s help identifying a suspect who stabbed & injured a woman inside of a liquor store on Jan. 30, 2022 in the 900 block of E Broadway.
He was last seen fleeing the scene on foot. Contact Violent Crimes Detail w/ info 📞(562) 570-7250. pic.twitter.com/ZcqtOsDvAX
— Long Beach PD (CA) (@LBPD) March 4, 2022
Police described him as a bald Black man with brown eyes, standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds.
On the day of the stabbing, Lee was admitted to St. Mary Medical Center where she underwent surgery for serious but not life-threatening injuries. Since then, the community has rallied in support of her, with one neighbor even starting a GoFundMe that has raised $9,870 of the $10,000 goal to help pay for medical bills.
In the latest update shared Saturday, Feb. 26 by her neighbor Kevin Voravong, Lee’s condition appears to have worsened over the last month. Photos show the liquor store owner connected to a ventilator after doctors said in early February that she was having trouble breathing on her own as a result of the spinal injuries suffered in the stabbing.
“I am crushed and absolutely devasted to learn of the news,” Voravong said. “She didn’t deserve any of this and with this person still at large something must be done.”