Mission Viejo man charged with strangling ex-girlfriend, Cal State Long Beach student in court Thursday

An arraignment for a 21-year-old Mission Viejo man charged with the murder of a 20-year-old Cal State Long Beach student was held Thursday.

The mostly nude and battered body of Kate Sue Yi was discovered inside a closet at her Long Beach apartment on April 2, by her roommate and her mother.

Police and prosecutors allege Yi's boyfriend, Jonathan Huynh, killed the Cal State Long Beach nursing student in a jealous rage.

A coroner's investigator testified earlier this month that Yi died from strangulation.

Huynh told police he had choked his estranged girlfriend with a belt and gagged her with her underwear while they had sex and fought, according to Long Beach Homicide investigators.

Bruising on the victim's neck indicated a ligature was used, and the coroner also found a pair of panties jammed down the victim's throat. Stuffed inside one nostril was what appeared to be remnants of a pill, most likely an Advil, and there was some sort of matter inside the other nostril that the coroner's investigator could not specifically identify.

Huynh was ordered to stand trial on a charge of murder on Dec. 2 and scheduled to appear at the Long Beach Superior Court for an arraignment Thursday. He will return to the courthouse on Jan. 11 for a pre-trial conference, according to court staff.
His trial date has not yet been set.