Richmond man charged in 2012 rape, murder of 82-year-old woman

Jonathan Jackson, 34, was arrested and charged with murder, rape, kidnap, kidnap with the intent to rape and other charges in the death of Sun Kwon. Jonathan Jackson, 34, was arrested and charged with murder, rape, kidnap, kidnap with the intent to rape and other charges in the death of Sun Kwon. Photo: Richmond Police Department Photo: Richmond Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Richmond man charged in 2012 rape, murder of 82-year-old woman 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Richmond man has been arrested in connection with the 2012 murder and sexual assault of an 82-year-old El Cerrito woman, police said Friday.

Jonathan Jackson, 34, was arrested in Antioch Oct. 11 and charged with murder, rape, kidnap, kidnap with the intent to rape and several other sexual assault enhancements in the death of Sun Kwon.

“As a department, we are relieved that the violent predator who preyed on someone as vulnerable as an 82 year-old grandmother has been taken into custody, so that nobody else will be victimized by him,” police said Friday in statement. “We hope that Sun Kwon's family find some relief and closure with this arrest.”

Kwon was walking near the Big O Tires store at 10733 San Pablo Ave. in Richmond on the morning of Jan. 28, 2012, when she was attacked, Richmond police Lt. Bisa French said in a report.

A manager at the store found Kwon, a grandmother of six, bloodied and lifeless next to a pile of discarded tires. She survived the initial assault but died from her injuries on July 31, 2012, police said.

Kwon was hospitalized after suffering severe head injuries and a sexual assault. Detectives had collected DNA evidence at the crime scene, which they submitted to the Contra Costa County Crime Lab.

A breakthrough in the case came in September when the crime lab informed detectives it had a match on the submitted DNA evidence.

Jackson’s DNA had recently entered the system when he was required to submit a sample following an arrest in an auto-theft case. That led to the match and the issuing of an arrest warrant.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno