By John Tozzi
The 61-year-old victim, identified as Young Bae Cha, was found around 5:48 p.m. in his first-floor apartment at 147-50 Barclay Ave. He sustained skull fractures and brain injuries from several blunt blows to the head, according to the city medical examiner's office. He was also found with a stab wound to the neck, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner said.Cha's son found him and called 911, police said. The victim was pronounced dead when emergency workers arrived.It is unclear how long Cha had been dead before his body was discovered, but several news outlets reported that he may have been killed between 12 and 24 hours before he was found. The New York Times reported that police were seeking to question a 41-year-old man who may have rented space from the victim.Neighbors gathered last Thursday night outside the three-story brick rowhouse where Cha lived said the area is generally safe and were shocked to hear about the crime. An officer in a police car guarded the driveway the next day.No arrests had been made as of Tuesday evening, and the investigation was continuing, police said.The murder was the first reported in Flushing's 109th Precinct in 2006. Last year three murders occurred in the precinct, which also covers Whitestone, College Point and Bay Terrace.Reach reporter John Tozzi by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 188.
