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East San Jose stabbing death tied to mounting gang violence
By Leslie Griffy
Mercury News
Article Launched: 10/03/2007 04:21:31 PM PDT
Eight months of violence between two San Jose gangs that included a drive-by shooting and several stabbings culminated with the slaying of a 16-year-old boy last month near a high school, according to court documents.
Prosecutors allege Kosal Khek, 18, stabbed Anthony Nguyen to death at a shopping center across the street from Andrew Hill High School on Sept. 6. He is one of three people facing murder charges in the case.
None of the teens involved in the incident attended Andrew Hill at the time, but the crimes linked to their gangs often took place in the neighborhood, according to documents police provided to prosecutors.
San Jose police spokesman Sgt. Nick Muyo declined to say anything further about the two Vietnamese gangs involved in the eight-month battle.
But, according to court documents, the groups exchanged beatings, stabbings and shootings in the months leading up to Nguyen's death.
The increasing level of violence left two witnesses to his murder terrified to come forward. The Santa Clara District Attorney's office has agreed to protect their identities.
The week before Nguyen was stabbed to death in front of the Q-Cup smoothie shop on Senter Road, court documents allege that the 16-year-old took part in a drive-by shooting.
Nguyen was killed Sept. 6 about 2:05 p.m. on the sidewalk in front of the Launderland coin laundry, which is in the same center as Q-Cup.
Khek stopped by the shopping center popular
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with young people in the neighborhood with the express purpose of stabbing Nguyen, according to court documents.
Two others face charges for allegedly helping Khek. Robert Dejong, 18, admitted driving Khek to the center, according to court documents. Vihn Ly, 17, allegedly helped get rid of the bloody knife, went with them to the center and encouraged Khek on after he initially decided that Nguyen was "just a little kid."
Dejong and Ly allegedly told police they targeted Nguyen because they believed he was involved in a drive-by shooting at the Sands Mobile Park, which injured Ly's close friend. They also were angry, according to court documents, that Nguyen "burned" Ly on a drug deal.
Dejong and Ly are also charged with murder.
While the incidents laid out in the documents sound dire, young people hanging out at Q-Cup, enjoying a skewer of grilled meat or a smoothie, insisted they had never seen any violence at the popular spot.
"It's just a cool place to come after school," said Katherine Lam. "People who fight, they keep that elsewhere."
But that isn't the story from business owners in the strip mall across the street from Andrew Hill's football field.
Andy Tran, who owns the San Jose Pure Water store in the strip mall, said he has complained about teenagers fighting in front of the businesses there.
He said the teens often set up tables in front of the center to play cards, and that brawls frequently break out.