Couple recovering from beating

Man home; wife remains in Columbia hospital

Joe Perry / The Item A replica of a parking meter sitting in Sherry's Treasure Chest is being used to take donations for Kan and Yong Chae.

Owners beaten in restaurant robbery

By JOE PERRY
Item Staff Writer
jperry@theitem.com

A Korean couple viciously attacked and robbed outside their restaurant Thursday night are slowly recovering, their daughter said on Saturday.

Police said about 9:20 p.m. behind Teriyaki Wok, 1160 Old West Liberty St., Yong Chae and his wife, Kan, were severely assaulted during a robbery behind the business. The two were attacked by a handgun-wielding man who hit Kan, 58, several times in the head with his gun, and struck Yong, 61, as he came to her defense.

The attacker took her purse and an undisclosed amount of money and fled the scene. The Chaes were taken to Tuomey Regional Medical Center and airlifted to Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia.

The Chaes' daughter, Sugi, 32, (who goes by Sue) brought her father home from Palmetto Health Richland on Saturday.

"His head still hurts and he's still dizzy, but other than that, he's still good," she said.

Her mother had two surgeries "back to back" on Friday morning, the daughter said, and doctors had to remove two parts of her skull — a small piece of the back and part of the left side — to relieve a blood clot and attendant pressure. While her mother's initial prognosis was grim, she has steadily improved.

"She's still in a critical state," she said. "There's a 72-hour window where anything can happen."

She said her mother is in and out of consciousness, but her breathing tube has been removed and she's breathing on her own.

"That's a very good thing," she said. "I can't wait 'til she leaves the hospital."

Her mother will most likely remain in the Intensive Care Unit for the time being, she said.

When she got to the hospital Thursday night, Sue said her father told her someone came up behind them with a gun and tried to rob them.

"She wasn't willing to give up her purse. She got multiple hits compared to my dad," she said. "I never thought this would happen. They've had restaurants for so long and nothing happened."

The Chaes have run Teriyaki Wok for about 10 years, she said, and The Chicken Shack and China Wing before that. Sue also said she's had to shut down the restaurant she runs — Mr. Teriyaki — as well as Teriyaki Wok while she tends to her parents.

On Saturday at Sherry's Treasure Chest, a few doors down from Teriyaki Wok, owner Sherry Lauchart had already begun soliciting donations to help the Chaes, who don't have insurance. Lauchart has a parking meter replica designed to hold change to go toward their medical bills, and said she and other business owners plan on setting up a bank account as well.

"They're just wonderful people," she said, "and wonderful bosses — just great to their employees. Always smiling and just really nice."

Lauchart has been at her spot nearly as long as the Chaes, and news of the robbery and its aftermath was devastating, she said.

"See the (box of) Kleenex? Yesterday all we could do was walk around with tears in our eyes," she said. "And every time you started thinking about it, you started to cry. You couldn't ask for a better neighbor there."

The suspect is described by police as a black man, 6 feet tall with a medium build. He was wearing a dark hooded jacket, dark pants, and a dark colored hat. He is believed to be between 25 and 35 years old. The investigation is ongoing and the Sumter Police Department asks anyone with any information to call them at (803) 436-2700 or Crime Stoppers at (803) 436-2718. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.

Contact Staff Writer Joe Perry at jperry@theitem.com or (803) 774-1272.