THE friends of homicide victim Li Zhongyi are seeking the community’s help to pay for his funeral expenses.
Holdings signs, they stood at the San Jose/Oleai traffic intersection last week to receive donations from passing motorists.
On Thursday, Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo found probable cause to charge the couple involved in the death of Li Zhongyi.
Police said Lingyang Kong, 34, stabbed Li Zhongyi several times on New Year’s Eve.
The judge found probable cause to charge Kong with 2nd degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault & battery.
As for Kong’s girlfriend, Lyuqin Yi, Judge Govendo found probable cause to charge her with accessory after the fact.
Both defendants were ordered to return to court on Jan. 24 at 9 a.m. for an arraignment.
At the hearing Kong was represented by Assistant Public Defenders Emily Thomsen and Vina Seelam while court-appointed attorney Matthew Holley appeared for Li.
Also present were the defendants’ Mandarin interpreters, Dennis Tse and Wang Yue.
Assistant Attorneys General Steve Kessel and Heather Barcinas are the prosecutors.
Judge Govendo did not impose any bail on Kong, but set Yi’s at $25,000 cash.
According to court documents, Kong waived his rights to have an attorney present and agreed to provide a statement to the police.
Through a translator, he said prior to the incident, Zhongyi Li invited him for some drinks at a bar in Garapan.
At the bar, Kong said he got into an argument with the victim’s girlfriend.
He said he left the bar but the couple followed him, adding that Li’s girlfriend continued to yell at him (Kong) who said he was also shoved by Li.
When Kong’s girlfriend arrived, she got into an argument with Li’s girlfriend.
Kong said he and his girlfriend were already walking away when Li came from behind and pushed him, causing him (Kong) to fall.
Li then mounted on top of him, and punched him several times, the defendant said.
His girlfriend tried to help him get up on his feet but he said Li assaulted both of them.
It was at this point when Kong said he reached for the pocket knife in his back-right pocket, unfolded the knife and thrusted it toward the victim.
Later, police learned from the defendant’s girlfriend that she hid the knife behind the shutter of a business establishment.
Police found the knife which they said had blood stains.
The victim, Li, was transported to the Commonwealth Health Center. He was unresponsive for a brief moment, but was revived and admitted to the intensive care unit.
Police said Li suffered from multiple injuries to his upper body with lacerations on his head, neck, and upper torso and puncture wounds to his left rib cage.
He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on Jan. 1, 2022, at 6:35 a.m. by Dr. Elizabeth Culp due to multi-organ failure.
One of the friends of homicide victim, Li Zhongyi, holds a sign during a fundraising activity at the San Jose/Oleai traffic intersection last week.
