Arrests made in slaying of UCLA alumnus
Two men charged in connection with stabbing murder of Thien Minh
Ly
By Marie Blanchard
Daily Bruin Contributor
Two Tustin residents were charged Tuesday afternoon with the
murder of UCLA alumnus Thien Minh Ly. The two suspects are accused
of having stabbed Ly more than a dozen times in a Tustin High
School tennis court one evening while he was rollerskating.
Deputy District Attorney Debbie Lloyd formally filed murder
charges against Gunner Lindberg, 21, and a juvenile Lindberg called
"Dominic," 17. The men, who are also roommates, are believed to be
involved in Ly’s slaying.
According to Lindberg’s interview with police, he and the
juvenile were walking near the tennis courts on Jan. 28 when they
saw Ly. Lindberg said that he then walked up to Ly and knocked him
down. He said it was at this point that the juvenile took out a
knife and stabbed Ly.
But Tustin police said Lindberg’s version of the story is
unlikely. According to Detective Brent Zicarelli, Lindberg gave
earlier statements that did not support this account.
"He’s given us enough information to believe he was an active
participant," Zicarelli said.
Although police have not discovered a motive, they found
neo-Nazi literature in the bedroom that the two suspects shared.
The police also said there were indications that Lindberg was
trying to start a gang in the Tustin area.
Lindberg, who was considered a fugitive, is also wanted for
attempted murder and burglary in Mount Vernon, Miss., where he
briefly lived. He is also wanted for parole violation and
interstate flight.
Ly, who was 24, graduated from UCLA in 1994 with degrees in
biology and English. According to family members, he had hoped to
one day become an ambassador to Vietnam.
While at UCLA, Ly was president of the Vietnamese Students’
Association and director of the annual Vietnamese Students’
Association’s Culture Night.
After UCLA, Ly attended Georgetown University in Washington,
DC., where he received a master’s degree in physiology and
biophysics.
A detention hearing for the suspect youth will be held today in
juvenile court. Lindberg’s arraignment has been extended until
March 22 while the Public Defender’s Office finds a lawyer to
represent him.
With reports from wire services.Comments to
webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu