Lake Forest Councilman Granted Diversion Program In DUI, Domestic Violence Cases

SANTA ANA, CA — Lake Forest Councilman Benjamin Yu was granted admission into a military diversion program to resolve a drunken driving case and multiple domestic violence cases, according to court records obtained Wednesday.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Scott Cooper granted Yu's motion for the military diversion program on Tuesday. He has a hearing set for Aug. 7 to show proof of enrollment.

In April, when prosecutors objected to Yu's motion to reduce a felony domestic violence charge to a misdemeanor, they said Yu "committed multiple acts of violence, across several dates, against the same woman. He has done everything from strangle her, to pulling her by the hair and bashing her head on a countertop, leaving marks each time."

On June 27, 2023, he got into an argument with his then-girlfriend that escalated, prosecutors said. The woman said he "climbed atop (her), straddled her, and then grabbed her by the neck with both of his hands."

The woman said "the strangulation caused her bruises to her neck. She further told deputies that she vomited two or three times after she was strangled," according to prosecutors.

Yu asked her to lunch on July 1, 2023, but when she refused he showed up at her home and told her to get in his car, prosecutors said. When she refused he "grabbed (her) wrists and pulled her towards the interior passenger seat of his car which caused her to scream," prosecutors said.

At that time, Yu had an open DUI case. Irvine police arrested Yu on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol on Oct. 11, 2021, and he was charged with two DUI misdemeanor counts in that case.

On Feb. 19, 2024, sheriff's deputies responded to another domestic violence case involving Yu, prosecutors said.

The woman was "confused and dizzy" and said he "grabbed her hair with both of his hands, pulled her head against the granite kitchen countertop, and slammed her head multiple times against the kitchen counter, prosecutors said.

Yu "then grabbed a kitchen knife and told her he was going to kill himself," prosecutors said. Yu called 911 and said he was suicidal, had a knife and was "turning on the gas stove inside the house," prompting authorities to evacuate the homes of neighbors, prosecutors said.

Yu's attorney, William Bettencourt, said he could not comment without first consulting with Yu.

Two years ago, Yu told City News Service he was working on Wall Street when the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred, which inspired him to enlist in the Army, where he suffered a disability. He said the DUI stemmed from his mixing of medication with alcohol, but he was now sober.

Bettencourt said in court papers in April that his client was honorably discharged from the Army as a private in 2002. He was a mechanic in the service and was discharged "due to his disability that was incurred as a direct result of his service," Bettencourt wrote.

His "service-connected disability is listed by the Department of Veteran Affairs as a 100% diagnosis for paranoid schizophrenia," Bettencourt contended in the court papers.

Yu earned an administrative license from the state Department of Real Estate and was concerned that a felony conviction would lead to a suspension or revocation, his attorney argued in court papers seeking a lowering of the charge to a misdemeanor.

The defense attorney was also concerned that a felony conviction would disqualify Yu from serving as a Lake Forest City Councilman.

Before his rash of legal troubles, Yu was an "otherwise law-abiding citizen for his entire life," Bettencourt said.

Since Yu stopped seeing his ex-girlfriend he has not had any contact with law enforcement "and his mental health has improved drastically," Bettencourt said.

City News Service