By FRED CONTRADA
fcontrada@repub.com
The Republican Newsroom (Massachusetts, USA)
NORTHAMPTON - A Springfield man who kidnapped his wife by stuffing her in the trunk of a car was sentenced to prison Friday after his wife pleaded for leniency.
Sort D. Thang, 35, of 47 Kosciusko St., Indian Orchard, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and violating a restraining order in Hampshire Superior Court.
He was arrested on June 21 after he fled from police on foot, leaving the car he was driving at a Northampton exit on Interstate 91. Police found Thang's wife terrified and sobbing in the trunk.
As prosecutor Michael A. Cahillane recited the evidence to Judge Mary-Lou Rup, the defendant violated the restraining order obtained by Carrie Thang when he went to her Springfield home on June 21 and shoved her into her car.
In Holyoke, Thang pulled his wife from the front seat and forced her into the trunk, Cahillane said.
Another motorist, Alfonso Rivas, heard the woman screaming for help and followed the car as it headed up I-91 to Northampton. Thang got off at exit 18 and drove into the Meadows area of city. Rivas, meanwhile, had telephoned the police and was still following the car.
Thang stepped out of the car but got back in when he saw Rivas and sped through downtown Northampton and back onto the interstate. He abandoned the vehicle at exit 18 southbound.
Police found Carrie Thang in the trunk, crying and clutching a screwdriver for protection. Thang hugged a female trooper and thanked her for saving her life, saying, "He was going to kill me," Cahillane said.
Northampton police arrested Thang a few hours later as he was walking on a footpath near Veterans Field. Cahillane asked for a sentence of 5-7 years in state prison.
In seeking a lesser sentence, defense lawyer Marissa L. Elkins told Rup that her client has developed post traumatic stress disorder from a life of violence. According to Elkins, Thang was born in Cambodia during the reign of the Khmer Rouge and suffered from malnutrition at an early age. His family lived in a refugee camp before emigrating to the U.S., where they settled in a gang-ridden section of Los Angeles. Thang had a cousin die in his arms and suffered wounds from a gang shooting, Elkins said.
Because Thang does not have the proper immigration papers, he was ordered deported in 1998. However, he has been in limbo because Cambodia is unable to accept all the deportees from the U.S., Elkins said. Thang has been unable to get counseling or health insurance, she said.
Carrie Thang, who has two children with the defendant, told Rup that her feelings regarding punishment have changed since the incident.
"At first I wanted him to be locked up forever," she said. "This man asked for help but there was nothing I could do."
Carrie Thang said she wanted Thang to serve his time at the Hampshire County House of Correction, where he would be more likely to receive treatment for his problems than in state prison.
Rup sentenced Thang to 3-4 years in prison but said she would recommend to the Department of Correction that he serve the time at the county jail. He was also ordered to serve two years probation and to complete a program for batterers and undergo therapy while he is in custody.
Sort D. Thang, 35, of 47 Kosciusko St., Indian Orchard, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and violating a restraining order in Hampshire Superior Court.
He was arrested on June 21 after he fled from police on foot, leaving the car he was driving at a Northampton exit on Interstate 91. Police found Thang's wife terrified and sobbing in the trunk.
As prosecutor Michael A. Cahillane recited the evidence to Judge Mary-Lou Rup, the defendant violated the restraining order obtained by Carrie Thang when he went to her Springfield home on June 21 and shoved her into her car.
In Holyoke, Thang pulled his wife from the front seat and forced her into the trunk, Cahillane said.
Another motorist, Alfonso Rivas, heard the woman screaming for help and followed the car as it headed up I-91 to Northampton. Thang got off at exit 18 and drove into the Meadows area of city. Rivas, meanwhile, had telephoned the police and was still following the car.
Thang stepped out of the car but got back in when he saw Rivas and sped through downtown Northampton and back onto the interstate. He abandoned the vehicle at exit 18 southbound.
Police found Carrie Thang in the trunk, crying and clutching a screwdriver for protection. Thang hugged a female trooper and thanked her for saving her life, saying, "He was going to kill me," Cahillane said.
Northampton police arrested Thang a few hours later as he was walking on a footpath near Veterans Field. Cahillane asked for a sentence of 5-7 years in state prison.
In seeking a lesser sentence, defense lawyer Marissa L. Elkins told Rup that her client has developed post traumatic stress disorder from a life of violence. According to Elkins, Thang was born in Cambodia during the reign of the Khmer Rouge and suffered from malnutrition at an early age. His family lived in a refugee camp before emigrating to the U.S., where they settled in a gang-ridden section of Los Angeles. Thang had a cousin die in his arms and suffered wounds from a gang shooting, Elkins said.
Because Thang does not have the proper immigration papers, he was ordered deported in 1998. However, he has been in limbo because Cambodia is unable to accept all the deportees from the U.S., Elkins said. Thang has been unable to get counseling or health insurance, she said.
Carrie Thang, who has two children with the defendant, told Rup that her feelings regarding punishment have changed since the incident.
"At first I wanted him to be locked up forever," she said. "This man asked for help but there was nothing I could do."
Carrie Thang said she wanted Thang to serve his time at the Hampshire County House of Correction, where he would be more likely to receive treatment for his problems than in state prison.
Rup sentenced Thang to 3-4 years in prison but said she would recommend to the Department of Correction that he serve the time at the county jail. He was also ordered to serve two years probation and to complete a program for batterers and undergo therapy while he is in custody.
10 comments:
This kind of behavior shall not be tolerated. Lock him up and treat him to recover whatever he claim he had suffer.
I do not agree to use Khmer Rouge era as an excuse. Of course, we were all living in a terrible era but we should leave those things behind and move on.
Khmer should stay strong. Hun Sen is treating Khmer, perhap, much terrible than Khmer Rouge era. The difference is under Hun Sen, 'You die walking and Under Khmer Rouge you die standing'
Khmer Los Angeles, California
Bullshit, this king of behavior is healthy for Ah Pleu-Oversea.
Keep up the great work, but down spread it into Cambodia.
I see #2 comment are nothing but a dump son of a b.... If you call us Ah Pleu oversea, who the hell are you? I think you are like 'a frog living in a confined well, see nothing abroad, u see shit and you think it's a flower' Come oversea to see the real flower. I pay for your ticket.
7:58am
Ah ngob frog in the well, go kill yourself, son of a whore!
I see that same dude using those same lines all the time. He's not Khmer i'm assuming. Dude it's annoying! You're not even Khmer why are you in here?
8:19 AM
"I think you are like 'a frog living in a confined well, see nothing abroad, u see shit and you think it's a flower' Come oversea to see the real flower. I pay for your ticket."
Your arrogance is why Khmer knong Srok don't like overseas folks. Going to Cambodia and act like you're so better than everyone else. Am I wrong? 99% of the time yes I am so right because I've seen relatives and friends of family that do it. I fucking hate you Khmer who think you are all that. Ego! Ego! Ego! Why don't you learn to turn that down? Can't you just be humble? No one respects an arrogance prick but people admire a humble fella that puts himself below where he should be. Khmer overseas don't have respect for Khmer in Cambodia and consequentially Khmer in Cambodia feel disrespected and disrespect Khmer overseas back.
This kind of behavior is encouraged by the American society, including its movies and violent culture. It is not caused by Pol Pot. The perpetrator is a product of his environment (American). Why should Cambodia suffer the consequences by allowing the U.S. to deport him back to Cambodia. Our country has enough problems of our own. We don't need America's criminals and pedophiles here. There are already a lot of white men here preaching democracy and human rights to Cambodians while screwing our women and children when they're preaching. We don't need this racist, imperialistic, Nazi shit in our country.
WTF? Not every Khmer overseas act like this MTF...
Doesn't matter where u live. There are wife beaters everywhere. Can't educate or change these assholes, but u can educate these low self esteem women who tolerate such act.
this woman is lucky because she is residing in america. imagine is she were to reside in cambodia, she would have no help from the law to protect her rights against her husband's abuse. i think it's the male/female thing because in cambodia men tend to think that they are better than women. it's a cultural thing, i guess! a strong penal code is needed in cambodia to prevent or discourage domestic violence! god bless.
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