Pinkberry Founder Busted in Homeless Beating

Yogurt tycoon accused of attacking panhandler over tattoo
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 18, 2012 12:23 AM CST
Pinkberry Founder Young Lee Arrested for Beating Homeless Man
Pinkberry, founded in 2005, now has more than 170 locations worldwide.   (Photo: HMSHost)

The co-founder of the Pinkberry frozen yogurt chain has been arrested for a savage attack on a homeless panhandler in Los Angeles, according to law enforcement authorities. Prosecutors say Young Lee and an unidentified second suspect—believing the homeless man had disrespected them by displaying a sexually explicit tattoo—beat him with a tire iron, leaving him with a broken arm and cuts to his head.

Witnesses reported the incident to police. Lee, a former kickboxer, was arrested when he arrived in LA on a flight from South Korea, ABC reports. Lee, who was convicted of possession of a controlled substance and carrying a loaded firearm in 2001, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of assault with a deadly weapon. Pinkberry released a statement saying Lee is no longer involved with the company, which "stands against acts of violence of any kind, especially those involving the most vulnerable among us." (More Young Lee stories.)

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