Pinkberry Co-Founder Found Guilty Of Assaulting Homeless Man

Pinkberry co-founder Young Lee was convicted on Friday of assaulting a homeless man who was showing off a sexually explicit tattoo. A Los Angeles jury found Lee guilty of assault with a tire iron after a day of deliberations.

Lee helped bring a sleek design to the frozen yogurt company, but is no longer associated with the international chain. The attack in question happened in June 2011 when Young got out of a Range Rover at a Los Angeles freeway off ramp and beat the man, Daniel Bolding, with a tire iron, reports Reuters.

Young could face up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced in January. He told authorities that he believed the man disrespected him and his then-fiance by exposing the tattoo, which depicted two stick figures having sex.

In testimony during last year’s preliminary hearing, Bolding explained that Young approached him and accused him of being disrespectful. The homeless man recalled during his testimony, “I’m befuddled. I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ That’s when he hits me with the iron.”

USA Today notes that Los Angeles Superior County Court Judge Henry Hall also declared Lee a “significant threat to the community,” because he threatened a witness at the trial. As a result, the Pinkberry co-founder will stay in jail without bail until he is sentenced.

Bolding suffered a broken arm and was struck twice in the head before witnesses intervened to stop the attack. Deputy District Attorney Bobby Zoumberakis argued during the trial that Lee felt “a sense of entitlement… to the point where he felt he was disrespected by someone he believed to be below him.”

The defense tried to cast doubt on witness testimony and claimed their client wasn’t the attacker. However, the jury of six men and six women sided with the prosecution. Bolding also filed a lawsuit against the Pinkberry co-founder seeking damages for the attack.

[Image via YouTube]