Bakersfield businessman José Arredondo.
A prominent California businessman and father of a K-pop music star was found dead on Tuesday morning in a condominium in Cabo San Lucas.
According to several media outlets, the body of José Arredondo, 58, was found with signs of signs of “blunt force trauma.” State authorities said he had been beaten to death.
No arrests have been made, but a U.S. State Department official said U.S. authorities are closely monitoring the investigation.
Arredondo was born in Mexico but emigrated to the United States when he was 12 years old and eventually became a U.S. citizen. Initially he made a living washing cars but by the time of his death he was the owner of several local car dealerships in and around Bakersfield, California.
Francisco Duran, an admirer, wrote on Facebook that he was saddened by the news of Arredondo’s death.
“Sad news. I was thinking about quitting Bakersfield College back in 1995 when I saw him on TV. He was encouraging kids to stay in school. He changed my mind about quitting.”
Arredondo is survived by his wife, originally from South Korea, and two children. One child, Samuel Arredondo Kim, is a celebrated K-pop icon, known for his work as part of the music duo 1Punch and in the Korean soap opera Revenge Note 2. The 17-year-old released his first full-length solo album in 2017.
Source: BCS Noticias (sp), Univision (sp), New York Post (en)
