According to court documents, the arrest of 48-year-old Scott Koh at a busy Fremont intersection yesterday came at the end of a terrifying, hours-long ordeal for his estranged wife's boyfriend.
"Mister Koh was the ringleader of this organized and prolonged, virtually torture period," King County Deputy Prosecutor Charles Sherer told a District Courtroom.
But Koh declined to come to court to hear the allegations: That he and three employees savagely beat and pistol whipped 40-year-old Chris McMonagle, bound him with zip ties, tossed him into Koh's Lexus. Then Koh drove off.
Sherer said McMonagle has numerous injuries.
"The victim sustained fractured ribs, broken nose, collapsed lung, possible broken eye socket," said Sherer. "He has bruises all over his body and his has obvious zip tie marks on his legs."
McConagle's torment allegedly began Sunday morning at this Queen Anne apartment. Koh and his employees had planned a quote intervention with his estranged wife. Instead, she called police. When officers arrived, they asked her boyfriend to leave.
But Koh and his employees followed him to the garage and began the attack. Two and a half hours later, Koh surrendered.
Scott Koh has run his family's Shilla Korean Restaurant for 30 years. The other three men work at Shilla's, too. A family friend pleaded with the judge for a lenient bail.
"I've known Scott since 30 years," said Craig Nakamura. "I've never known him to be in anything of this sort."
But District Court Judge David Christie set bail at $150,000 for each man.
As for the victim, he is in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center.
KIRO
