19 Pairs of Labeled Underwear Found in Tempe Assault Suspect's Home
Police in Tempe, Arizona, identified a suspect in a Halloween night sexual assault through GPS data and a discarded Wendy's cup, leading to a search that revealed a collection of women's clothing with identifying notes.
By Samir Patterson ·
Tempe police reported finding a collection of women’s underwear in the home of a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman on Halloween night. The discovery occurred during a search of the suspect's residence in Chandler, where officers located 13 pairs of underwear, an eye mask, and sticky notes attached to seven of the pairs that included dates and names.
Mach Kim, 46, was arrested on November 5 on charges of aggravated assault, kidnapping, sexual assault, and sexual abuse. The alleged attack took place on October 31 near Eighth Street and Dorsey Lane, just south of University Drive. Court documents state that around 2:30 a.m., Kim forced a woman into his vehicle at gunpoint while she was walking home from a party. He allegedly pointed a black pistol at her and ordered her inside under threat of being shot.
According to the court records, Kim made the victim wear an eye mask and drove her to a separate location where he sexually assaulted her and compelled her to surrender her underwear. He then dropped her off near McClintock and University drives. The victim found a bystander who helped her call police. Officers recovered her phone and keys on the ground at the drop-off site.
Investigators used GPS data from the victim's phone to reconstruct the route of the abduction. This digital trail allowed police to match the timeline with surveillance cameras along the path, identifying a white Dodge Ram pickup registered to Kim. His driver's license photo also matched a sketch the victim helped create. On November 5, detectives surveilled Kim and collected a DNA sample from a Wendy's cup he discarded. Police stated that the DNA on the cup matched the sample taken from the victim during her sexual assault exam.
When officers arrested Kim in Scottsdale, a search of his car revealed a black CO2 gun shaped like a handgun, a black sleep mask, six pairs of women’s underwear, a pillow, and a towel. Kim invoked his right to remain silent when taken to jail, stating he did not wish to answer questions without a lawyer. Detectives believe additional victims may exist and have asked potential victims to contact the Tempe police department at 480-350-8311.
