Chantilly's Hyeong "Billy" Suh is in trouble again. He's been out of jail less than a year, after serving time for residential burglary.
On July 6, Fairfax County police charged him with one count of breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony. If convicted, he could receive as much as five years in prison.
In a May 12 affidavit for a search warrant to look for possible criminal evidence in Suh's home at 3505 Nodding Pine Court in the Franklin Glen community, Det. Deborah Manes presented details of the investigation. Assigned to the Fair Oaks District Station's Criminal Investigations Section, Manes also sought a warrant for a 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT driven by Suh.
SHE WROTE that, on May 11 around 5:30 a.m., a resident of the 3200 block of Tayloe Court in the Franklin Farm community left for work with his son. When the man returned home around 5 p.m., he discovered that someone had smashed the rear, sliding-glass door to his locked townhouse and stolen a safe from the master bedroom.
The safe contained passports, Social Security cards and green cards, jewelry, income-tax and house-settlement papers, a property deed and about $3,400 in cash. The next day, Manes interviewed the homeowner and his son about the burglary, and they said they had no idea who had broken into their home.
According to Manes, the path led to Suh who, she noted, "got out of jail about six months ago." Manes ended up at Suh's home which, she stated, she was familiar with because "this is where Hyeong 'Billy' Suh lived with his parents when he was arrested approximately two years ago."
"[I] was the detective that investigated the burglaries committed by Suh and arrested him for those cases," she wrote. "Billy's method of entry to the homes was to smash the rear, sliding-glass door, or a window pane from a rear French door, and go to the master bedroom where such items as jewelry and money were stolen. This is the same method of entry to [the May 11 victim's] townhouse."
On May 12, Manes interviewed a female neighbor about the burglary in her neighborhood. "On May 11, she was leaving for work at approximately 8:30 a.m. when she noticed a black Cadillac Escalade in the parking space in front of [the victim's] townhouse," wrote Manes. "She recognized the driver" because she'd seen him and that vehicle previously on that street.
"SHE DESCRIBED [the driver] as being an Asian male with black hair and glasses," wrote the detective. "[I] showed her a photo lineup with a picture of Hyeong Suh in it. [She] pointed to his picture as being the person in the vehicle."
Also on May 12, Manes spoke with a male neighbor about the same burglary. He was at home, May 11, and also saw a black Cadillac Escalade parked in front of that townhouse between 10:30-11:30 a.m., with the passenger door open, Manes noted.
"He observed a male subject leaving the front of the [victim's] townhouse carrying a large item in his arms, with clothes covering it," wrote the detective. "He described the suspect as possibly a Hispanic male, with dark hair with a buzz cut growing out, [and] wearing a white T-shirt and khaki pants like cargo pants."
Manes wrote that, on May 12, she went to 3505 Nodding Pine Court and observed a black Cadillac Escalade parked in the driveway. When she ran a DMV check on its license plates, it came back as being registered to Suh's parents. She stated that it matched the vehicle description given by the two witnesses and that the DMV listed that address as Suh's place of residence.
In her search warrant, the detective hoped to find the stolen safe, any or all of its contents — including the $3,400 in cash, as well as any glass fragments, fibers, hair, khaki pants, white T-shirts, burglary tools or receipts for items pawned or sold.
On May 12 at 9:55 p.m., police seized from Suh's home a pair of tan Polo pants, two white T-shirts and $900 in 50-dollar bills. From the Cadillac Escalade, May 13 at 3:45 a.m., police seized Wachovia Bank deposit and balance receipts dated May 11.
Following his arrest July 6, Suh was released on personal recognizance. He has an Aug. 10 court date.