Police in California arrested a 71-year-old man after surveillance video purportedly showed him suffocating his 94-year-old father-in-law.
Sy Van Nguyen died on August 11 at his Santa Rosa home in the 5800 block of River Road, 65 miles north of San Francisco. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office stated that paramedics initially considered the death to be natural.
However, on Friday, the victim’s son approached deputies with evidence. Nguyen had surveillance cameras in his bedroom, and after his death, his son noticed something suspicious and watched the video.
“As he’s reviewing it, he saw the suspect basically grab a plastic bag and a pillow, put it over the victim’s face, suffocating him on camera,” Sonoma County Sheriff Sgt. Juan Valencia told KGO.
The suspect was identified as Khanh Trong Tran, who resided on Nguyen’s property but in a different residence. Deputies searched the property but did not find him. They apprehended him around 4:15 a.m. Saturday, next to a vehicle on the 1700 block of Marlow Road.
Valencia claimed Tran admitted to killing his father-in-law.
“Detectives did speak with the suspect and he basically said he was tired of providing for his father-in-law, who was 94 years old,” Valencia told KGO-TV.
Tran is currently facing a murder charge.
“This is a straight-up, cold malice murder,” Valencia stated.
KGO spoke with neighbors who said Nguyen usually kept to himself. Tran was known to go hiking in the area, which included several vineyards.
“There must be alternatives to this,” said neighbor Rod Burglund, who knew the suspect as Ken. “You knew most of the people in the neighborhood, and Ken was always doing his own thing, like a walking acquaintance.” I made wine with his grapes one year. To me, he appeared to be an upstanding individual.”
Tran is currently being held in the Sonoma County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for September 15.
