September 26, 2007
KTVU (Oakland, California, USA)
OAKLAND -- An Oakland gang member and drug dealer has been convicted of first-degree murder for shooting his 16-year-old girlfriend in the head at point-blank range two years ago after she said she wanted to break up with him.
Loeun Sa, 22, faces a state prison term of 50 years to life when Alameda County Superior Court Judge Joan Cartwright sentences him Nov. 6 in connection with the Aug. 27, 2005, death of Nancy Nguyen at 52nd Avenue and East 10th St. in Oakland.
Nguyen was just beginning her senior year at the Life Academy High School of Health and Biosciences in Oakland and would have celebrated her 17th birthday the next week.
In their verdict late Tuesday, jurors also convicted Sa, who told Oakland police that he belongs to the Asian Street Walkers gang, of using a firearm and of being an ex-felon in possession of a gun. He has a prior conviction for possessing marijuana for sale.
Deputy District Attorney Stacie Pettigrew said Sa shot Nguyen after she told him to calm down following an incident in which he fired a gun into the air during a confrontation that involved 10 to 20 people and then told him that their relationship was over.
In his opening statement in Sa's trial, his lawyer, Spencer Strellis, admitted that Sa killed Nguyen but said the key issue in the trial was Sa's state of mind at the time and whether his actions constituted murder or a lesser charge, such as manslaughter.
"It's clear that there was a lover's quarrel and emotions ran high," Strellis said.
Pettigrew said Nguyen and Sa got into a "really loud" argument after Sa fired two shots into the air but their friends tried to ignore it because they figured it was just "a girlfriend-boyfriend spat."
But the prosecutor said Sa then turned toward a group of onlookers and said in Cambodian, "Do you want to see her die?"
Pettigrew said, "Tragically for Nancy, no one took him seriously" and tried to stop him.
The prosecutor said Nguyen, who was Vietnamese-American, probably didn't understand what Sa was saying so "she didn't know what was coming."
Pettigrew said the area where the shooting occurred is heavily Cambodian-American and there's a Cambodian temple nearby.
Pettigrew said Sa dragged Nguyen around the corner to a deserted cul-de-sac and a few moments later, witnesses heard Nguyen say to Sa, "Why are you hitting me? It's over."
Pettigrew said the witnesses then heard Sa tell Nguyen, "You can't run from me. You can't get away."
After that, the witnesses heard the gunshot that took Nguyen's life, Pettigrew said.
The prosecutor said Nguyen and Sa had dated for about seven months and there had been no prior indication that they'd had problems or that she had wanted to break up with him.
Strellis couldn't be reached for comment on the jury's verdict.
Loeun Sa, 22, faces a state prison term of 50 years to life when Alameda County Superior Court Judge Joan Cartwright sentences him Nov. 6 in connection with the Aug. 27, 2005, death of Nancy Nguyen at 52nd Avenue and East 10th St. in Oakland.
Nguyen was just beginning her senior year at the Life Academy High School of Health and Biosciences in Oakland and would have celebrated her 17th birthday the next week.
In their verdict late Tuesday, jurors also convicted Sa, who told Oakland police that he belongs to the Asian Street Walkers gang, of using a firearm and of being an ex-felon in possession of a gun. He has a prior conviction for possessing marijuana for sale.
Deputy District Attorney Stacie Pettigrew said Sa shot Nguyen after she told him to calm down following an incident in which he fired a gun into the air during a confrontation that involved 10 to 20 people and then told him that their relationship was over.
In his opening statement in Sa's trial, his lawyer, Spencer Strellis, admitted that Sa killed Nguyen but said the key issue in the trial was Sa's state of mind at the time and whether his actions constituted murder or a lesser charge, such as manslaughter.
"It's clear that there was a lover's quarrel and emotions ran high," Strellis said.
Pettigrew said Nguyen and Sa got into a "really loud" argument after Sa fired two shots into the air but their friends tried to ignore it because they figured it was just "a girlfriend-boyfriend spat."
But the prosecutor said Sa then turned toward a group of onlookers and said in Cambodian, "Do you want to see her die?"
Pettigrew said, "Tragically for Nancy, no one took him seriously" and tried to stop him.
The prosecutor said Nguyen, who was Vietnamese-American, probably didn't understand what Sa was saying so "she didn't know what was coming."
Pettigrew said the area where the shooting occurred is heavily Cambodian-American and there's a Cambodian temple nearby.
Pettigrew said Sa dragged Nguyen around the corner to a deserted cul-de-sac and a few moments later, witnesses heard Nguyen say to Sa, "Why are you hitting me? It's over."
Pettigrew said the witnesses then heard Sa tell Nguyen, "You can't run from me. You can't get away."
After that, the witnesses heard the gunshot that took Nguyen's life, Pettigrew said.
The prosecutor said Nguyen and Sa had dated for about seven months and there had been no prior indication that they'd had problems or that she had wanted to break up with him.
Strellis couldn't be reached for comment on the jury's verdict.
25 comments:
Commit the crimes paying big time now.
broken homes from genocide and centuries of violence reflect on today's youth.
even though there are people who say what's history should be forgiven or forgotten, such as our quarrels with our neighbors, those issues have an effect on today and our future. We cannot forget, or forgive just yet, we must learn and never let such things happen again.
hopefully other youth will learn from this and help to bring about a change in our community rather than blaming others, or saying it's impossible to reverse.
This ain't Cambldia. You kill someone, you get 50 years to life. In some states, especially Texas, you get the death penalty.
He's 22, and probably never heard or care about the killing field. There's no excuse for murder, except poverty and living in a bad environment.
Don't blame on Cambodia. He's just a piece of shit brought up by American society. Must be punished by the law.
I think Gang Peoples is" Pouk Ah Bong Hin Baay or Pouk Ah YoK Karm ot Pouch ning".
Whatever, but NO DEPORTATION CRAP please; get it?
If he doesn't have a US citizen he will be.
Yeah, but if they educated him like they supposed too or followed the "No Child Left Behind" law, he will have no problem filling out the required papers work for citizenship.
Enough excuses, alright?
He will be raped by guys in prison, good for him. That's a punishment.
criminals are criminals, I feel no sympathy for them. After he serve his time, he'll most likely get deported ( i doubt he was smart enough to acquire citizenship).
Hahaha, one asshole gangster is eliminated. Bet his butt hole will get bigger after he came out of the jail.
You want to be a gangster for life? This is what you get punk! The nightmare is about to begin and I pray for him! This bastard is weak to kill a woman!
"( i doubt he was smart enough to acquire citizenship)"
What are you talking about? The US education suck? Just send the dude to
the great Berkley for 6 years after he get out, and that oughta do it. He will be a Senator instead of a ganstor.
To 8:01AM!
Who said this gangster can't get into Berkley? If this bastard has good grade and a lot of money and of course if he can pass entrance examination!
Nancy is my cousin, I miss her dearly. He should get life in prison so he can be remind daily of what he did. I hope he rots in there. Sorry bastard!
What is wrong with everyone? What is with the comments concerning Berkeley, sodomy and blaming Cambodians? Nancy is gone forever and all he gets is 50 years?! I knew Nancy and its very heart breaking to know that she will never come back just because he got so heated at the moment to take her life. I do not believe 50 years in prison will do him any good, he should be there for life. Honestly, the United State's jail system is really screwed up. There have been so many instances where they just let a murderer go after a few years of 'good behavior'. There is no justice in that. Its been 3 years and I still think about her all the time. She was a bright girl who could have done so much but he was so ridiculously irrogant to take it all away from her. People break up, people make up, people move on but he couldn't get that through his mind. I do not believe about the "key issue" being his state of mind. I believe that in his mind he knew what he was doing but didn't care. Now Nancy will never be able to aspire in her dreams or do all the things she wanted to. RIP Nancy, we're still thinking about you and missing you so much.
Fuck all of you who comment on this shit..ya juss know wat the media tell you bitches....see me bitch!!!!! Ya dumb in the first place to believe every fucken word they said as a matter of fact its probably the first time ya sorry bitches even pick up a newspaper to read and or watch the news!! Fuck wat you heard!!
-his sister (chenda)
6/13/08
Mannn thats my fken unkle if ya got sometin against him see mee bitch!!!!!!!!!he aint do nothin to Nancy.yall all bullshit!!!!
FrEe UnKlE BuCc FaSt ! FuKk WhAt AlL YaWl SaY !
Fuck dat nigga.. he derseve to die in prison.. wat kind of a man shot a little girl because she want to leave him... fuck him and who ever support him.. because of his low life ass she wont even get the fucking chance to live pass her 21 age... like this other comment he didnt do nothing to nancy.. bitch u stupid because of his action her family wont see her nomore.. he should man up and shoot himself in the fucking head.. my love go to nancy and her family... sorry for there lost
Sorry for both loses,shes gone and hes in prison what more do people want?the only people who actually knew about the REAL situation are friends of nancy and the mans loved ones..i know the whole story,and if it was ever to be linked out,people would definetly have a different perception of nancy but that doesnt mean that she deserved death.i knew both individuals personally and what triggered the murder was because the dispute between nancys ex boyfriend veasna(bitchass snitch) nancys present boyfriend.A verbal conflict sparked with the two men, nancy, whom was intoxicated at the time,made the decision to take the ex boyfriend(veasna)side.how was her present boyfriend at the time suppose to react?
I knew Nancy as well and to this day this saddens me because i remember going to Middle school with her and part of high school. She always cracked me up with her craziness, and to think she's gone before her time kinda hurts. It doesn't matter what went on, there should have been no reason why she was shot to death, people need to learn how to control their anger!!! Now because of his decision to fire the gun at her, he'll never see the outside world either, was it all worth it??? NO
Yaw bitches don't even know him !! U dnt know how hard it is for us(his fam) we think of him eryday I love him. I DNT THINK U WOULD LIKE IT IF YO UNC OR DAD OR SOME WAS. SENTENCED 50 years to life would you !! HE DIDN'T DO NUN U WASN'T THERE TO SEE IT SO STFU !! IM TIRED OF U PPL TALKING ABOUT HIM HOPE U PUNKS LEAVE FrE3-UnCL3-BuCc !! -
ANON
^ Wtf you mean he didn't do nothin you fuckin dumbass bitch?! He took her life! FUCK your family and what the fuck yall "goin thru." That ain't shit compared to what he put Nancy's family through! We will never see her again but yall can still see and visit that bitchass nigga. Fuck him and fuck your family bitch!
REST IN PEACE NANCY NGUYEN
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