The husband of a girl who was discovered lifeless inside a burned dwelling in San Marino has been arrested on suspicion of homicide, authorities mentioned.
Firefighters discovered the physique of 56-year-old Irene Gaw-Lai after extinguishing a residential fireplace within the 2600 block of Lorain Highway on the morning of Jan. 6, in accordance with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Division.
There have been indicators of bodily trauma on her higher physique, officers mentioned, and L.A. County Sheriff’s detectives started investigating the demise as a murder.
Almost six months later, an arrest has been made. Her husband, Yoon Lai, 63, was detained within the metropolis of San Gabriel on Thursday, in accordance with the Sheriff’s Division.
Lai is being held on a no bail warrant, and the Sheriff’s Division intends to current the case to the L.A. County district lawyer’s workplace on Tuesday.
The L.A. County medical expert dominated Lai’s explanation for demise as undetermined after post-mortem and toxicology research. Detectives who responded to the preliminary incident mentioned the girl’s physique was badly burned.
Pals instructed ABC7 Information that Gaw-Lai was the mom of twins and a popular doctor. Neighbors instructed the information channel that she was in the course of a contentious divorce.
Gaw-Lai filed a petition for divorce of marriage with minor youngsters in August 2024, in accordance with court docket information. She had filed a earlier petition for divorce from Lai in 2003, in accordance with court docket information.
Gaw-Lai, who additionally glided by the the final title Gaw Gonzalo, was a licensed endocrinologist, in accordance with the Medical Board of California. A number of of her sufferers left mournful messages on the Yelp web page of her Arcadia apply.
“Wonderful Endocrinologist! So sadden for her loss. The workers was simply as likeable {and professional} as her, which is absolutely onerous to seek out within the medical business,” wrote one affected person. “I miss her a lot and nonetheless attempting to soak up the tragic loss to the business. I knew my well being was on a optimistic path due to her.”
Her husband initially instructed investigators that he had taken their two sons to baseball apply and returned to seek out their home on fireplace, Sheriff’s Lt. Steven De Jong instructed ABC7 Information on the day of the fireplace.
