This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Pinkberry Co-Founder Gets 7 Years In Prison For Beating Homeless Man With Tire Iron
Young Lee, the co-founder of popular frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry, will be spending the better part of the next decade in prison. A judge sentenced him to seven years behind bars today for beating up a homeless man with a tire iron.Lee was with his fiancee in his SUV on the Vermont Avenue offramp of the 101 in June of 2011 when he became enraged by a sexually explicit tattoo that Donald Bolding had. Bolding was panhandling on the side of the road at the time.
Lee apparently felt disrespected by the very sight of the tattoo, so he parked his SUV, walked over to Bolding and struck him twice in the head with a tire iron, screaming, "Apologize, you showed disrespect," City News Service reports. Witnesses actually had to stop Lee from beating Bolding further. Bolding suffered a broken arm and a concussion in the attack.
"I'm befuddled. I'm like, 'What are you talking about?' That's when he hits me with the tire iron," Bolding said, who also claimed that Lee tried to force him get down on his hands and knees to apologize, CNS says.
Lee was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon after a three-week trial in November. L.A. Superior Court judge Henry Hall called Lee a "threat to the community" after Lee was convicted.
The sentence handed down today is the maximum allowed for his crime.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
