‘Austin Powers’ actor suspected in cellmate’s death

An “Austin Powers” actor convicted of torturing a woman in Orange County is suspected of killing his cellmate in a Central Valley prison, authorities said Tuesday.

Joseph Hyungmin Son, 40, allegedly killed his 50-year-old cellmate, who was found dead Monday afternoon at Wasco State Prison Reception Center in Kern County.

Prison officials have named Son as the suspect, but officials said charges against him will await the completion of the investigation.

He had arrived at the prison reception center Sept. 16 after having been convicted of torture and sentenced to life in prison without parole in connection with the 1990 Christmas Eve rape of a woman out walking her dog.

Prosecutors in the torture case said the woman was walking back to her apartment alone with her dog after going to look at Christmas lights with a relative and friend and was stopped by Son about 12:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve 1990.

Son asked her for directions and then, with another man, dragged her to a car, threw her in the back and drove away. Son and the other man told her they were driving to Compton, pistol-whipped her and repeatedly threatened to kill her.

Son’s cohort, Santiago Lopez Gaitan, 40, of San Antonio, raped the woman, prosecutors said. Afterward, Son threatened to kill the victim and counted the bullets in the gun out loud as she pleaded for her life.

Son and Gaitan finally allowed the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, to leave, naked and with her pants tied around her eyes. The woman went to a nearby Huntington Beach home, where the residents called police.

—From LATimes.com