San Dimas woman charged with murdering mother-in-law

A San Dimas woman was charged Friday with murdering her 77- year-old mother-in-law, whose remains were found inside an SUV in Orange County hours after fire crews doused a blaze at the victim’s Diamond Bar home.

Un Young Lee, 42, is being held in lieu of $1 million bail while awaiting arraignment April 24 at the Pomona courthouse.

The criminal complaint alleges that Young Ja Lee was killed between Monday and Wednesday. The defendant was arrested Wednesday by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies.

The investigation began when Los Angeles County fire crews responded around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday to a fire at a home in the 1200 block of North Diamond Bar Boulevard. Fire crews searched the home after dousing the flames and did not find anyone inside, and arson investigators were called to try to determine how the blaze started.

Investigators received a tip that a woman may have killed the female resident of the home and driven away with the woman’s body, authorities said.

Un Young Lee was stopped around 8 a.m. at the intersection of Tustin Ranch Road and Greenway Drive in Tustin. The older woman’s remains were found inside bags that were inside the SUV, sheriff’s officials said.

Authorities have not disclosed how the 77-year-old woman died.

If convicted, the defendant faces a possible maximum life sentence in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

—City News Service