Two San Diego sisters have been charged after police say their 81-year-old mother was found dead in a confined space inside the family home and their 88-year-old father was discovered severely neglected. Authorities allege the women, who served as their parents’ primary caregivers, delayed care and left the elderly woman in a position that contributed to her death.
Police responded to an apartment in the University City area on Genesee Avenue after a midnight 911 call on March 6 and found Kun‑Ying Yang deceased. Officers reported that Yang’s body was trapped face‑down in the gap between a bed frame and a pullout couch.
San Diego Police said the medical examiner listed the cause of death as positional asphyxia, and noted neglect as a contributing factor. Investigators estimate Yang had been in that position for at least 15 hours before officers arrived.
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Detectives later learned the sisters, identified as 51‑year‑old Ingrid Wu and 53‑year‑old Rebecca Wu, were acting as caregivers because both parents required daily assistance, police said. Body‑worn camera footage captured a Mandarin conversation between the sisters at the scene; a department translator later summarized statements that authorities say underscored an extended period of neglect.
According to a police declaration, Ingrid Wu told officers she believed her mother had been immobilized in the same position for “approximately 10 to 20 days” and admitted that she limited care to changing diapers and wiping her down rather than regularly repositioning her or seeking medical attention.
The declaration also says the sisters discussed discovering their mother stuck in the bedding gap early in the morning and delaying emergency help. Police allege they found Yang at about 5:30 a.m. and did not place the 911 call until more than 18 hours later.
Allegations, charges and current status
The San Diego Police Department has charged both women with first‑degree murder in connection with Yang’s death and with elder abuse over the condition of their father, who was found anemic and dehydrated. Emergency responders hospitalized him for several weeks; he is now in a long‑term care facility and is subject to temporary restraining orders barring contact from the sisters, court records show.
- Victim: Kun‑Ying Yang, 81 — cause of death: positional asphyxia, with neglect listed as a factor.
- Charges: First‑degree murder and elder abuse against Ingrid and Rebecca Wu.
- Father: 88 years old — hospitalized for anemia and dehydration; now in long‑term care.
- Legal actions: Ingrid Wu arraigned and released under conditions (surrendered passport, GPS monitoring, travel restrictions); Rebecca Wu detained awaiting arraignment.
San Diego Police Lt. Christopher Leahy said investigators concluded the parents’ health was placed at risk through a failure to provide required care. “The suspects endangered their parents’ health and failed to act as legally required,” he told reporters, describing the case as a criminal neglect investigation.
Ingrid Wu was arrested last week and appeared in court on Monday; she was released after agreeing to monitoring and travel limits. Rebecca Wu remains in custody at the Las Colinas Detention Facility and is scheduled for arraignment, according to local court filings and law enforcement statements.
The case is now advancing through the local court system as authorities and prosecutors review the evidence contained in the police declaration, body‑worn camera recordings and the medical examiner’s report. Police said the investigation remains active, and additional details could emerge as the prosecution prepares its case.
