Justitia, the Roman goddess of justice, who is also known as “Lady Justice.” Photo from Pixabay
A 27-year-old woman was sentenced Friday to 45 years to life in prison for her part in the death of a woman who was dragged to death during a robbery in Westminster.
Lynn Ai Quach was convicted in September 2014 by an Orange County Superior Court jury of first-degree murder with a special circumstance allegation of murder during a robbery. Jurors also found true sentencing enhancements for street gang activity and a gang member’s vicarious discharge of a firearm, but jurors acquitted Quach of attempted murder.
Quach initially faced life in prison without the possibility of parole, but legal precedence established since the conviction prompted Orange Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue to dismiss the special circumstance allegation, saying it wasn’t supported by the evidence, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Feldman.
Quach stands convicted of murder with sentencing enhancements for gang activity and the vicarious discharge of a gun by a gang member.
Co-defendant Christopher Dai-Ichi Yu, 25, was convicted in June 2011 of first- degree murder, attempted murder and street terrorism.
A sentencing enhancement for discharging a firearm was found true.
Yu’s sentence was reduced to 74 years to life in prison after an appeal that upheld his convictions, according to court records.
Quach and Yu were convicted of killing 38-year-old Tina Tuyet Huynh on March 27, 2010, in Westminster.
The two met with Huynh under the pretense of selling her about 2,000 pills of Ecstasy, but really intended to rob her, according to trial testimony in Yu’s case.
Quach picked up Yu in her car and they drove to Russell Paris Park in Westminster, where they met Huynh. The victim’s boyfriend, Truong Pham, waited for her in his car.
Huynh told the pair she had $4,800 for the pills and demanded to see the Ecstasy, but Yu did not have any pills so he grabbed the cash and as Quach punched the accelerator the victim hung onto the car, according to Feldman.
It appeared the 4-foot-6, 83-pound victim’s arm was tangled in her purse, which apparently was stuck to a side-view mirror of the car as it sped away, according to Feldman.
“It was a combination of death grip, tangled and speed,” Feldman said.
Pham gave chase in his car as Quach drove up and down a few streets with the victim hanging on to a door, according to trial testimony. Yu ultimately grabbed the purse and tossed it into the back of Quach’s car and then he fired a gun to get Huynh to let go, which she did, according to testimony.
Feldman contended that Yu was shooting over the victim at Pham during the chase.
Pham rammed his car into the defendants’ vehicle, prompting Yu to fire his gun four more times at Pham, according to Yu’s trial testimony. Pham managed to dial 911 during the conflict and an Orange County sheriff’s deputy in the area saw the chase and made Quach and Pham pull over.
Huynh was pronounced dead later at a hospital.
–City News Service
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