ARLINGTON, VA - As the investigation continues, law enforcement officials are uncovering dark details about the alleged suspect in connection to the house explosion that happened on Monday, December 4th.
According to FOX News, public records show that 56-year-old James Yoo lived in a duplex house on the block that is show exploding in several videos that have circulated social media as well as mass media websites. In a news briefing on Tuesday, December 5th, police confirmed Yoo's identity, stating that human remains have been recovered from the site of the explosion.
Although the autopsy is pending, police believe those human remains belong to Yoo. Prior to this incident, police said that their only other interactions with Yoo at that address were a pair of noise complaints throughout the past few years.
According to WJLA, Yoo's social media posts should be cause for concern, possibly even raise a few red flags. Yoo's LinkedIn page, which appears to have been disabled, states that he is a graduate of George Mason University with a degree in information resource management.
His profile states that he is self-employed as a landlord and in the past, has worked for tech companies in Rochester, New York, and in Reston and Crystal City, Virginia.
After his page being disabled, Yoo reportedly preserved some of his posts on a YouTube page along with silent videos showing court filings from some of his failed lawsuits. Some other posts say things like, "Defund the FBI and CIA" and "purge all spies."
During the news briefing on Tuesday, December 5th, police said that they are aware of Yoo's "concerning social media posts." Another post allegedly refers to his ex-wife as a "witch" and he posted anti-U.S. slogans like, "#(expletive)AMERICA" and quotes from Noam Chomsky.
Part of his biography on his LinkedIn says, "I gave THEM /Y'ALL every opportunity to 'do the right thing' and all I see is America's hypocrisy, corruption, fraud, conspiracy...", FOX News reported. WFLA stated that Yoo also claimed that his next-door neighbors and their children are spies and that those individuals were planning to attack on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, which would have been on Thursday, December 7th.
In a post about his neighbors, Yoo accused them of following him around the nation for years. Police Chief Andy Penn with the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) said in a statement, "We are aware of the concerning social media posts allegedly made by the suspect and these will be reviewed as part of the ongoing criminal investigation."
Alex Wilson, a neighbor who recorded the video of the house explosion, described Yoo in an interview with the local media outlet, Arlington Now, as a "recluse" who "covered his windows with aluminum foil."
In a recent social media post, Yoo posted a ran about his neighbor's "activity" on Friday, December 1st, saying, "This is how white people operate and have the luxury of outnumbering all other 'races' by almost 7 to 1 in 'Merica." In a post from late October, he claimed that he was being targeted with "hateful messaging" and made a reference to assassinations.
FOX News also reported that back in February of 2022, he tried to sue his ex-wife, the state of New York and more than a dozen others, alleging fraud, conspiracy to deprive him of civil rights and other charges. A federal judge dismissed the complaint with prejudice, calling the lawsuit "frivolous and confused." This came among a "string" of similar complaints that were also dismissed.
According to CNN, both the FBI and Arlington Police said that they had previously interacte with Yoo, but none of those encounters led authorities to open investigations. David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the agency's Washington, D.C. field office, said that Yoo had communicated with the FBI for several years through phone calls, letters and online tips.
He added, "I would characterize these communications as primarily complaints about alleged frauds he believed were perpetrated against him. The communications did not prompt the agency to open any investigations."
In court documents and social media posts, Yoo lists his address as on North Burlington Street, which is where police responded on Monday, December 4th, around 4:45 p.m. before the house explosion. Police arrived at the house alleged to be Yoo's after reports that someone shot off dozens of flares.
Police tried to make contact with phone calls and loudspeakers, but were ignored. In a statement, police said, "As officers were attempting to execute the search warrant, the suspect discharged several rounds, from what is believed to be a firearm, inside the home. Subsequently, at approximately 8:25 p.m., an explosion occurred at the residence."
Three officers suffered minor injuries in the blast, but none required hospitalization. Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control around 10:30 p.m., but continued to douse spot fires into the late night hours. The blast reportedly impacted 10 households. His neighbors and the adjoining unit in the duplex were evacuated before the explosion.
According to FOX News, public records show that 56-year-old James Yoo lived in a duplex house on the block that is show exploding in several videos that have circulated social media as well as mass media websites. In a news briefing on Tuesday, December 5th, police confirmed Yoo's identity, stating that human remains have been recovered from the site of the explosion.
Although the autopsy is pending, police believe those human remains belong to Yoo. Prior to this incident, police said that their only other interactions with Yoo at that address were a pair of noise complaints throughout the past few years.
According to WJLA, Yoo's social media posts should be cause for concern, possibly even raise a few red flags. Yoo's LinkedIn page, which appears to have been disabled, states that he is a graduate of George Mason University with a degree in information resource management.
His profile states that he is self-employed as a landlord and in the past, has worked for tech companies in Rochester, New York, and in Reston and Crystal City, Virginia.
After his page being disabled, Yoo reportedly preserved some of his posts on a YouTube page along with silent videos showing court filings from some of his failed lawsuits. Some other posts say things like, "Defund the FBI and CIA" and "purge all spies."
During the news briefing on Tuesday, December 5th, police said that they are aware of Yoo's "concerning social media posts." Another post allegedly refers to his ex-wife as a "witch" and he posted anti-U.S. slogans like, "#(expletive)AMERICA" and quotes from Noam Chomsky.
Part of his biography on his LinkedIn says, "I gave THEM /Y'ALL every opportunity to 'do the right thing' and all I see is America's hypocrisy, corruption, fraud, conspiracy...", FOX News reported. WFLA stated that Yoo also claimed that his next-door neighbors and their children are spies and that those individuals were planning to attack on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, which would have been on Thursday, December 7th.
In a post about his neighbors, Yoo accused them of following him around the nation for years. Police Chief Andy Penn with the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) said in a statement, "We are aware of the concerning social media posts allegedly made by the suspect and these will be reviewed as part of the ongoing criminal investigation."
Alex Wilson, a neighbor who recorded the video of the house explosion, described Yoo in an interview with the local media outlet, Arlington Now, as a "recluse" who "covered his windows with aluminum foil."
In a recent social media post, Yoo posted a ran about his neighbor's "activity" on Friday, December 1st, saying, "This is how white people operate and have the luxury of outnumbering all other 'races' by almost 7 to 1 in 'Merica." In a post from late October, he claimed that he was being targeted with "hateful messaging" and made a reference to assassinations.
FOX News also reported that back in February of 2022, he tried to sue his ex-wife, the state of New York and more than a dozen others, alleging fraud, conspiracy to deprive him of civil rights and other charges. A federal judge dismissed the complaint with prejudice, calling the lawsuit "frivolous and confused." This came among a "string" of similar complaints that were also dismissed.
According to CNN, both the FBI and Arlington Police said that they had previously interacte with Yoo, but none of those encounters led authorities to open investigations. David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the agency's Washington, D.C. field office, said that Yoo had communicated with the FBI for several years through phone calls, letters and online tips.
He added, "I would characterize these communications as primarily complaints about alleged frauds he believed were perpetrated against him. The communications did not prompt the agency to open any investigations."
In court documents and social media posts, Yoo lists his address as on North Burlington Street, which is where police responded on Monday, December 4th, around 4:45 p.m. before the house explosion. Police arrived at the house alleged to be Yoo's after reports that someone shot off dozens of flares.
Police tried to make contact with phone calls and loudspeakers, but were ignored. In a statement, police said, "As officers were attempting to execute the search warrant, the suspect discharged several rounds, from what is believed to be a firearm, inside the home. Subsequently, at approximately 8:25 p.m., an explosion occurred at the residence."
Three officers suffered minor injuries in the blast, but none required hospitalization. Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control around 10:30 p.m., but continued to douse spot fires into the late night hours. The blast reportedly impacted 10 households. His neighbors and the adjoining unit in the duplex were evacuated before the explosion.
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