LOS ANGELES, CA – A 23-year-old college student found dead in a Santa Clarita apartment last week was the victim of a homicide, authorities said Thursday, as they continue searching for a suspect.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department identified the victim as Menghan Zhuang, who also went by the name Emily King. A Chinese national on a student visa, Zhuang was a senior at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, where she studied art. She had been living in the United States for nearly four years.
Deputies responded to The Vistas condominium complex near Nandina Lane and Dockweiler Drive in Newhall around 7 p.m. on February 4 after receiving a report of a death at the residence. Inside a two-bedroom apartment, officers discovered Zhuang with multiple injuries to her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed a man, described as a “male companion,” arriving at Zhuang’s home the night before her body was found. Authorities said the same man was later seen on video exiting through her second-story bedroom window on the afternoon of the day she was discovered.
Investigators believe the individual in the footage is a person of interest and are asking for the public’s help in identifying him. They have not disclosed details about his relationship with the victim.
“It is clear this was not a random act of violence, and she somehow knew the person of interest,” the sheriff’s department said.
Zhuang’s roommate has cooperated with law enforcement and is not considered a suspect, officials said. Authorities do not believe the crime is connected to any other incidents in the area.
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
