Family and community members gather at the home Leam Sovansy, who was found stabbed to death on Sunday. (Carlos Delgado /For The Press-Telegram)02/01/2009
By Kelly Puente, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)
LONG BEACH - A 76-year-old mother of 10, described as the matriarch of her Cambodian family, was found stabbed to death in her Long Beach home, authorities said Sunday.
A family member discovered the body of Leam Sovanasy in her home in the 1400 block of Peterson Avenue at 11:04 a.m. Saturday, said Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Lisa Massacani.
Sovanasy had been stabbed multiple times, Massacani said. Police released few details Sunday and would not give information on a suspect or possible motive.
Dozens of family members descended upon Sovanasy's home in the heart of Cambodia Town, where she lived in a family compound. Sovanasy, her husband, Lek Lot, and a daughter shared one unit, while a son, another daughter and in-laws lived in three other units, family said.
While the family would not discuss details of the slaying, they were eager to talk about Sovanasy's life and her struggle to come to the United States.
"My mom was very inspiring. I can't believe she took care of us all," said youngest daughter Val Tubaces, 37. "She kept us together, and I love her for that."
Sovanasy is originally of Laotian descent but was born in Cambodia. Three of her children are deceased as is her first husband, who died of malaria, her daughter said.
At the height of the bloody Khmer Rouge regime, the widow fled with her surviving seven children to a refugee camp in Vietnam. They eventually made it to the United States, and lived in Carson and Norwalk before settling in Long Beach in the late 1980s.
A survivor of wars and loss, Sovanasy stressed the importance of keeping family together and appreciating the opportunities available in the United States.
"She taught us to appreciate everything we have here," said her great-nephew, Lunong Si.
The grandmother of 25 was a devout Buddhist and well-known member in the Long Beach Cambodian community, but she also adopted some classic American traits.
"She was a huge Lakers fan," said grandson Thom Phan, 33.
Phan said his grandmother was released from the hospital three days ago, after being admitted for high blood pressure. The family had been planning a barbecue Saturday to celebrate her homecoming.
Si said family from France and Canada are now traveling to Long Beach for the memorial service. In hard times, Cambodian-Laotian families traditionally come together, giving money, food or anything else needed, he said.
"We always come together in a time like this," he said.
Anyone with any information is urged to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Russ Moss or Teri Hubert at 562-570-7244.
kelly.puente@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1305
A family member discovered the body of Leam Sovanasy in her home in the 1400 block of Peterson Avenue at 11:04 a.m. Saturday, said Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Lisa Massacani.
Sovanasy had been stabbed multiple times, Massacani said. Police released few details Sunday and would not give information on a suspect or possible motive.
Dozens of family members descended upon Sovanasy's home in the heart of Cambodia Town, where she lived in a family compound. Sovanasy, her husband, Lek Lot, and a daughter shared one unit, while a son, another daughter and in-laws lived in three other units, family said.
While the family would not discuss details of the slaying, they were eager to talk about Sovanasy's life and her struggle to come to the United States.
"My mom was very inspiring. I can't believe she took care of us all," said youngest daughter Val Tubaces, 37. "She kept us together, and I love her for that."
Sovanasy is originally of Laotian descent but was born in Cambodia. Three of her children are deceased as is her first husband, who died of malaria, her daughter said.
At the height of the bloody Khmer Rouge regime, the widow fled with her surviving seven children to a refugee camp in Vietnam. They eventually made it to the United States, and lived in Carson and Norwalk before settling in Long Beach in the late 1980s.
A survivor of wars and loss, Sovanasy stressed the importance of keeping family together and appreciating the opportunities available in the United States.
"She taught us to appreciate everything we have here," said her great-nephew, Lunong Si.
The grandmother of 25 was a devout Buddhist and well-known member in the Long Beach Cambodian community, but she also adopted some classic American traits.
"She was a huge Lakers fan," said grandson Thom Phan, 33.
Phan said his grandmother was released from the hospital three days ago, after being admitted for high blood pressure. The family had been planning a barbecue Saturday to celebrate her homecoming.
Si said family from France and Canada are now traveling to Long Beach for the memorial service. In hard times, Cambodian-Laotian families traditionally come together, giving money, food or anything else needed, he said.
"We always come together in a time like this," he said.
Anyone with any information is urged to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Russ Moss or Teri Hubert at 562-570-7244.
kelly.puente@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1305
31 comments:
No lost, the old woman produce to many troublemaker potato diggers anyway.
What wrong with you, 12:32am? You are too negative to the human value!!!
Yeah, but who said that you are human, 12:53? Certainly, not me, and certainly, not PM Hun Sen. I am sure I am not alone on this.
12:32AM, Il-wishes will bestow to those with malice heart!!! Wait and receive; no one to blame but one's action. If you have no good deed to share, then best to be silence!!! You're heartless and and an idiot. Thanks your parent for their wasted-up-bringing. They must be greatly disappointed for a black sheep like you.
He's just a potato-head. His metal condition is abnormal. And both his brain sockests are fully stuffed with Yuon's and Hun Sen's excrement. These animals have NO moral value in them because they were born evil-minded.
. . .and this potato-head barks at anyone he sees. He got hired at the cost of dried bones just to bark like this. Last time I kicked his head a few kicks becuase he barked at me.
May powerfull being curse this idiot 12:32 AM and his family to receive 10,000 times worse faith then grandma Leam Sovanasy.
This man of calling overseas cambodia Potato diggers is a true animal. He was bornt from a scientific experience ( from animal and human specimen). Therefore his languages are totally negative to human development. I found many of his postings were very provocative and very nonsenses. He didn't realise that people in overseas have contributed each year enormously to Cambodian economy through
1-Visiting Cambodia
If one person would have spent $5000 and each year 100,000 cambodian have visited their homeland; Cambodia has received
$5000 X 100,000= $US 500,000,000.00
2-Moneys being sent to families in Cambodia. Each year at least another US$ 100,000,000.00
So this idiot should take this figure for his consideration
.Japan has been developped until today by their overseas citizen who have returned back to their home land. China has also developped in the past 15 years from their returnees. Cambodia is the same. If we want to develop the country unless we can see the importance of the returnees. Areak Prey
this is the culture of ah hun sen when the us let them in by faking papers. the us must deport them back.
The ill minded first comment poster will meet an ill fate in his short life. He'll die violently. He is a foreign kid from a terrible low educated family. Creature like this one is like a rat in the neighborhood. I know this note of mine will not bother this rat a bit. Strike it in the head and flush it through a public toilet.
Agreed with first comment!
I know you are the same person, idiot!
What a Yuon’s slave camouflage as a Cambodian!
4:55 AM, why you just agreed with first comment? Don't you have any word to reply other comment back?
Why are you silent, nothing to say, huh, idiot?
We all empathize your mother and your grandma who have a son like you.
May Buddha heal the first comment to a human being. May God drag him (12:32) from a deep-shit.
Tuv kvol ei ning manous douch 12:32
Berh 12:32 jkout, nous touk oy
12:32 jkout tuv.
Sama sam puttu
7:04AM sounds like a monk call-upon a Psychopath person being in a convulsion state?
7:04AM,
If you want the guy to become a decent perso, you can make your wish like that to Jesus, but not to the Buhdda, becuae the Buhdda cannot save anyone from their own sin, while Jesus can. Buhddism states: A person is his own master. Buhdda can only give Dhamma principles for you to fllow. If you violate them, it's your own sin that you will suffer its consequences.
Please disregard the first comment, due to his deportable status from the US, he is resentful towards all Khmer-Oversea. From viewing his previous post, one can only wonder why he's being deported.
We have exhausted all attempt to help him coping with us ...human, but to no avail. Therefore, we felt that it is necessary to sent him back home with $3,000 dollars to unite him with his long lost father......Huynh Sen. He had just previously acquired a computer skills, but unfortunately, still types with two fingers.
Last, must be told to get the simpliest daily chores done.
Yeap! Absolutely 100% right and I agree 7:59AM.
May god bless.
This is another victory for Khmer people. The bitch has finally faced justice for what she did to Cambodia.
9:16AM wishing, it could have been your mother?
Life goes on unless Pouk Ah Jkout Lop put and slave’s puppet regime put an end to the killing of innocent Khmers and let them free.
Don't respond to 12:32 AM or 9:16 AM. It's a retarded person without reasoning seeking love and attention. You can't help them or reason with them thru words. Just ignore them and they will go away.
10:31AM, we know this individual is nobody other than irritable ruthless pro-yuon evil’s regime and likes to provoke anger of some readers. He is a pain in the rear end, and sometime this person deserves harsh respond.
this animal is a real animal in human form that cannot be hurt by words but baton or bullet. ignore it and it'll get tired and stay in the hole alone. just ignore it and dont bother to respond to it next time it posts any thing here. and it'll work, guaranteed.
"Anyone with any information is urged to call LBPD Homicide Detectives Russ Moss or Teri Hubert at 562-570-7244."
Hahahahaha ... , you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know who stabbed the old fart, but they ain't gonna waste any effort on the bitch.
Thank you for being so rude about a passing.
This situation does not have anything to do with fucking Cambodia, thanks.
And for the idiot fucks who say things about her, you never even knew her.
And the family of the woman, they are not troublemakers. So, fuck you.
Also, unless you really know facts and such, you should shut the fuck up.
To 2:08 PM. Fuck you completely and utterly. If this was your fucking mother or grandmother how the fuck would you feel? I doubt an idiot like you could understand the fucking complexity of this situation.
I do not wish anything horrid to any of these people that say these things, but just know Karma will get you back, tenfold.
First off I have to say that a lot of people using this forum or responding to this blog post are completely ignorant. Most of you can't speak a lick of English and your ignorance shows in the comments you make.
I just want to make a few things clear.
1) This is not an issue of race. This is not a matter of race. If you were Buddhist or you had any sympathy or compassion in your heart whatsoever, you would realize that this is a sad, tragic, and terrible situation AND you would realize no one deserves this.
2) Whatever Khmer person out there is holding resentment for Thai/Laos/Youn people, you need to swallow your pride and realize that whatever hatred you have towards Youn people, that is all as a result of brainwashing by the Khmer Rouge. So if you want to become a product of the genocide and support that way of thinking, go ahead, but just realize what you're doing.
3) Hate breeds hate so stop hating and open your eyes, people. Everything that you're saying only supports the argument that this world is a sad and evil place (which despite some of its beauty, it sadly is).
4) Someone's grandmother, someone's mother out there suffered. And now her family is suffering. And this is all you have to say? What kind of person are you to step on people when they are down? What kind of human being are you?
Get off this blog, get off the internet, and go take a deep look at yourself. Look at the mirror and think about all the terrible things you say and all the terrible things you've thought. How can you live being that person everyday?
I have to agree with 4:51 and 6:16.
"Hahahahaha ... , you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know who stabbed the old fart, but they ain't gonna waste any effort on the bitch."
For 2:08, how dare you say that.. she's actually my great aunt and it's such heartbreaking news to have found out that afternoon. She was such a great woman and none of her kids / grandkids are bad. She's been through a lot and I'm proud of what she's done.. Have shame on your part.
To all you ignorant insulting and mocking, you all are chickens. Rather you talk behind your back, behind the internet.
As for Leam Sovansy, R.I.P.
I visit that temple when I was young.
My mom met her, and found her as the most nicest person, whenever my mom went to that temple.
Leam is a relative of my friend dad
to you 12:07 I wish your family best of luck.
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