The case against a Centreville man accused of a home-invasion robbery is moving forward in the legal system. He is Jong Kuk Choi, 37, of 13701 Winding Oak Circle.
The incident occurred Feb. 14, around 9:45 a.m., at a McLean home near the intersection of Lewinsville and Spring Hill roads in Tysons Corner. According to Fairfax County police, a couple was home at the time and answered a knock at their door.
Police said two men identified themselves as police officers, so the occupants let them in. "Both men were brandishing handguns," said police. "The two suspects tied up the couple, both in their mid-to-late 40s, and ransacked the home."
The men fled in a black Mazda, and the victims eventually freed themselves and ran to a neighbor's home for help. Police said jewelry and other items were allegedly stolen from the home.
A few hours after the robbery, a surveillance photo — reportedly of the same two men — was taken at the Hecht's store at Landmark Mall in Alexandria. Said police: "They used a credit card taken from the victims to purchase clothing."
On March 20, police arrested two suspects, Dae Woong Bae, 28, of Los Angeles, Calif., and Min Hyu Shin, 25, of Burtonsville, Md., in Los Angeles. They nabbed Choi, April 12, at his home in Centreville.
All three were charged with two counts each of robbery, abduction and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, plus one count each of burglary and impersonating a police officer.
Choi appeared last Monday, June 12, in General District Court. There, Judge Thomas Gallihue certified the robbery, abduction and burglary charges to the grand jury for possible indictment. The firearm and impersonation charges were dropped.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs