Update: Heunae Chang, 59

Heunae Chang, a 59-year-old Asian female, died Thursday, Aug. 30, in Sylmar, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Update Jan. 3, 2014:  Phillip Chang, 26, was ordered to stand trial Dec. 2 in the fatal burning of his mother.  L.A. County Superior Court Judge Hayden Zacky said during a preliminary hearing that there was “overwhelming evidence” to try Chang on charges alleging that he attacked his sleeping mother, Heunae Chang, with a makeshift blowtorch and chased her as she tried to flee.

Chang faces one count each of attempted murder, torture, aggravated mayhem and murder with special allegations of lying in wait, mayhem and torture.

According to authorities, Chang arrived unannounced the night of Aug. 24, 2012, at his 59-year-old mother’s home in Sylmar.

His mother, Heunae Chang, did not want him in the house but allowed him to spend the night after he insisted, authorities said.

Chang lay in bed for about three hours before he went to his car to retrieve a bottle of WD-40 and a cigarette lighter, said Det. Steven Eguchi of the Los Angeles Police Department during the hearing.

Chang is then accused of going upstairs to his mother’s room and using the lighter and the WD-40 to create a makeshift blow torch. His mother awoke and ran away, but Chang chased her, then struck her twice in the face during the pursuit. Read more: Accused of fatally burning his mother, Reseda man to stand trial 

-- James Barragan