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Anaheim Cold Case Arrest: What We Know About the 2011 Killing of Il Jae Kim

By Anaheim Life Editorial5 min read
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed in our publication workflow. Learn more
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A desk lamp lights an open evidence box, a DNA vial, and a magnifying glass on a worn wooden desk, with a string-tied folder nearby and dusty blue evening light coming through blinds in the background.

Anaheim police arrested Mike Carrillo Nunez, 34, of Santa Ana on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in the 2011 killing of 80-year-old Il Jae Kim. This Anaheim cold case arrest came more than 14 years after Kim was found dead inside his apartment in the 200 block of South Western Avenue, near West Del Monte Drive (KTLA via Yahoo News; Orange County Tribune). The Orange County District Attorney's Office has charged Nunez with murder (MyNewsLA/City News Service). Police describe the case as solved, but this is an arrest and a charge, not a conviction. Nunez is presumed innocent.

Key dates at a glance

  • Dec. 14, 2011: the date prosecutors allege Kim was killed (MyNewsLA).

  • Dec. 15, 2011, about 9 p.m.: officers on a welfare check find Kim dead in his apartment (MyNewsLA).

  • March 2026: Anaheim homicide detectives reopen the case.

  • Oct. 6, 2026: Nunez is arrested in Santa Ana.

  • Oct. 8, 2026: arraignment, with no plea entered.

  • Oct. 29, 2026: continued hearing at the North Justice Center in Fullerton.

What happened in 2011

Officers went to Kim's apartment for a welfare check around 9 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2011, and found him dead. OC Weekly reported at the time that family members helped officers get inside. Then-Anaheim police spokesman Sgt. Bob Dunn told the paper that Kim appeared to have died from wounds inflicted by another person and that the death was being investigated as a homicide. Police did not disclose the manner of death then, and OC Weekly listed it as Orange County Homicide No. 63 of 2011. The case then went unsolved for more than 14 years.

How the case was reopened

In March 2026, Anaheim Police Department homicide detectives reopened the case and worked with the Orange County Crime Lab to re-examine evidence from the original investigation (KTLA; MyNewsLA). According to Anaheim PD, as reported by KTLA, "Advances in forensic DNA technology helped investigators identify 34-year-old Mike Nunez as a suspect." Police have not publicly said which DNA method was used or how the match was made.

The arrest and the charge

Investigators found and arrested Nunez in Santa Ana on Oct. 6 (New Santa Ana; Orange County Tribune). In a social media post quoted by KTLA, the department wrote: "A cold case is not a forgotten case." It added: "This breakthrough reflects the persistence of our Homicide Detectives and the critical role of forensic science and technology pursuing justice, no matter how long it takes."

The District Attorney's Office charged Nunez with murder, with a sentencing enhancement for personal use of a deadly weapon (MyNewsLA). New Santa Ana reported that he is being held in Orange County Jail on $1 million bail. Police have not publicly described a motive or any connection between Nunez and Kim.

Separate prior cases

MyNewsLA, citing court records, reported that Nunez pleaded guilty in June 2011 to two counts of burglary for Santa Ana break-ins on March 26, 2010, and April 11, 2011. He separately pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon, with a great-bodily-injury enhancement, for an August 2012 incident in Santa Ana. He was sentenced to 16 years, a term cut to nine years under a new law in May 2022 (MyNewsLA). Those cases are separate from the Kim case.

What happens next in court

According to City News Service, "Nunez did not enter a plea at his arraignment Thursday. The hearing was rescheduled for Oct. 29 in the North Justice Center in Fullerton" (MyNewsLA). As of Oct. 14, that hearing has not happened. In plain terms, the case now moves through pretrial hearings, and prosecutors carry the burden of proving the charge in court.

The bigger picture

Cases like this one are part of a large national backlog. New Santa Ana, citing Project: Cold Case and FBI homicide data, reported that more than 352,000 homicide cases in the United States have gone uncleared since 1965.

How to share information

Anaheim PD asks anyone with information about this case to call 714-321-3669. Anonymous tips can go to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS (KTLA; Orange County Tribune).

Sources

This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources cited above.

Frequently asked questions

Who was arrested in the Il Jae Kim case?

Anaheim police arrested Mike Carrillo Nunez, 34, of Santa Ana on Oct. 6, 2026. He has been charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent.

What is Nunez charged with?

The Orange County District Attorney's Office charged him with murder, with a sentencing enhancement for personal use of a deadly weapon. New Santa Ana reported he is held in Orange County Jail on $1 million bail.

How did police identify a suspect after more than 14 years?

Anaheim homicide detectives reopened the case in March 2026 and worked with the Orange County Crime Lab to re-examine the original evidence. Police credited advances in forensic DNA technology but have not said which method was used.

When is the next court date?

Nunez did not enter a plea at his Oct. 8 arraignment. The hearing was moved to Oct. 29, 2026, at the North Justice Center in Fullerton, according to City News Service.

How can I share information about the case?

Call Anaheim PD at 714-321-3669. Anonymous tips can go to OC Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.