Gang Banger Gets Life Without Parole in Connection With 2004 Murder

A gang member was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in connection to the murder of a 21-year-old girl at a café in Cypress 8 years ago. Even though his Orange County murder attorney managed to spare his client the death penalty, that won’t spare this client from spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Stephenson Choi Kim, 31, of San Gabriel was 23 when he walked into the 5th Wave Café in Cypress, looking for a rival gang member. Known as Dragon on the streets, Kim didn’t find the rival gang member he was looking for, but went on a shooting spree anyway, wounding several people and killing Venus Hyun, shooting her in the back as she cowered in fear with her friends.

Choi was also sentenced to an additional 255 years in prison for the attempted murder of other innocent patrons that evening.

While the testimony of the witnesses in the café was damning enough, prosecutors also relied on testimony of 6 of Kim’s former gang members, who agreed to testify in exchange for lighter sentences.

Kim’s cold blooded attack may have resulted in a death sentence, but with California set to vote on a ballot measure that would eliminate the death penalty altogether, it is unclear if that had any sway in his sentencing.

Lee could potentially get parole, but only if his sentence is overturned on an appeal. With the mountains of witnesses and testimony levied against him, that seems highly unlikely at this point in time.