Seven charged with murder in beating death outside St. Paul bar
By Mara H. Gottfried
mgottfried@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 05/12/2009 03:55:04 PM CDT
A 20-year-old man lay motionless as about 10 people beat him outside a St. Paul bar Sunday, according to murder charges filed today against seven people.
Tai Yang, of St. Paul, died from a head injury. Two other men were shot, leaving one critically injured, during the same fight outside the Moonlight Magic bar in Frogtown.
The people charged with aiding and abetting unintentional second-degree, who are all St. Paul residents, are: Nou Chang, 22; Thai Chang, 22; Kou Thao, 19; Michelle Vue, 26; Keng Xiong, 23; Chue Yang, 23; and Teng Yang, 26.
Two other people who were arrested — Sa Thong Her, 20, and Kou Thao, 19 — were released pending further investigation, the county attorney's office said.
The criminal complaint gives the following account:
Police were called at 1:34 a.m. to Thomas and Western avenues on a report of shots fired. They found Tai Yang lying on his back on the sidewalk, his head and face covered with blood. He was pronounced dead.
A Moonlight Magic security guard, identified as S.H., told police that several White Tigers and G-Loc gang members had been in the bar at 601 Western Ave. About 10 members of the gangs walked out of the bar and when they got to the door, the guard heard people yell, "(Expletive) you, slob!" the complaint said.
S.H. said he heard people fighting and screaming, and heard four to five gunshots outside. He went outside and saw one man had been shot and then saw someone else lying on the
northwest corner of Thomas and Western "getting his (expletive) kicked" by a group of males and one female, the complaint said.
As S.H. went to help Tai Vang, a car drove by and the occupants fired four to five gunshots. When S.H. reached Tai Vang, the perpetrators ran back into the bar and police arrived.
"Numerous eyewitnesses" told police Tai Vang "lay motionless as approximately 10 males kicked and punched him in the face and chest," the complaint said. They also said a female then kicked Tai Yang three or four times, which they described as a "stomping motion," the complaint said.
Police saw a woman in the bar matching the female suspect's description and arrested her. She was identified as Michelle Vue.
The guard pointed out others in the bar he said had assaulted Tai Yang. They were identified as Keng Xiong, Chue Yang, Teng Yang and Thai Chang. Police also arrested Nou Chang and Kou Thao in the bar.
The men are all known members of the G-Locs or White Tigers gang, the complaint said.
Police saw a substance that appeared to be blood on the bottom of Chue Yang's pants and shoes, on Keng Xiong's shoes and pants leg and on Nou Chang's shoes. Thai Chang, who was wearing open-toed shoes, had a large toe that was bloody, and blood on a finger and his shorts.
Police interviewed all the people arrested. They denied being involved, but some changed their stories when police told them that witnesses had identified them or that there was surveillance video.
Husband and wife Michelle Vue and Chue Yang had gone to Moonlight Magic together. Chue Yang said his cousin was one of the people shot. He said he ran over to where Tai Yang was lying on the ground and kicked him once, asking, "Why did you shoot my cousin?" the complaint said.
Thai Chang, who said he "rolls with" the G-Locs, said there was a physical confrontation that night with a rival gang, the Asian Bloods, which Tai Yang was a member of. Thai Yang said he and several fellow gang members chased Tai Yang down and assaulted him. He said he couldn't remember how many times he punched Tai Yang "because everything went so fast" and he had been drinking, the complaint said.
Thai Chang said they were assaulting Tai Yang "because Yang started with them first," the complaint said. He said Tai Yang had "punched one of his homies," the complaint said.
Michelle Vue said she kicked Tai Yang twice.
"Vue then stated that a whole bunch of people chased the victim, and she saw a bunch of guys beating him up," the complaint said. "Vue said this was because everybody was angry about the man who was shot."
Teng Yang said he saw three people fighting with Tai Yang and he had kicked him once in the arm.
Kou Thao said he was outside when shots were fired, but denied getting close to Tai Yang. He said a substance appearing to be blood on his shoes was from his friend who was shot or from a cow his family butchered earlier in the day.
Nou Chang said he went outside and saw Tai Yang on the ground. A preliminary examination showed that footwear pattern impressions on the crotch area of Tai Yang's jeans and his shirt "are consistent in pattern, size and shape" with the sole of Nou Chang's shoe, the complaint said.
Keng Xiong said he ran outside when a fight broke out. He said his friend got shot and, if he had any blood on him, it was from helping his friend. He denied beating Tai Yang.
The seven charged are being held in the Ramsey County jail and expected to make first appearances in court this afternoon.
http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_12352563
By Mara H. Gottfried
mgottfried@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 05/12/2009 03:55:04 PM CDT
A 20-year-old man lay motionless as about 10 people beat him outside a St. Paul bar Sunday, according to murder charges filed today against seven people.
Tai Yang, of St. Paul, died from a head injury. Two other men were shot, leaving one critically injured, during the same fight outside the Moonlight Magic bar in Frogtown.
The people charged with aiding and abetting unintentional second-degree, who are all St. Paul residents, are: Nou Chang, 22; Thai Chang, 22; Kou Thao, 19; Michelle Vue, 26; Keng Xiong, 23; Chue Yang, 23; and Teng Yang, 26.
Two other people who were arrested — Sa Thong Her, 20, and Kou Thao, 19 — were released pending further investigation, the county attorney's office said.
The criminal complaint gives the following account:
Police were called at 1:34 a.m. to Thomas and Western avenues on a report of shots fired. They found Tai Yang lying on his back on the sidewalk, his head and face covered with blood. He was pronounced dead.
A Moonlight Magic security guard, identified as S.H., told police that several White Tigers and G-Loc gang members had been in the bar at 601 Western Ave. About 10 members of the gangs walked out of the bar and when they got to the door, the guard heard people yell, "(Expletive) you, slob!" the complaint said.
S.H. said he heard people fighting and screaming, and heard four to five gunshots outside. He went outside and saw one man had been shot and then saw someone else lying on the
northwest corner of Thomas and Western "getting his (expletive) kicked" by a group of males and one female, the complaint said.
As S.H. went to help Tai Vang, a car drove by and the occupants fired four to five gunshots. When S.H. reached Tai Vang, the perpetrators ran back into the bar and police arrived.
"Numerous eyewitnesses" told police Tai Vang "lay motionless as approximately 10 males kicked and punched him in the face and chest," the complaint said. They also said a female then kicked Tai Yang three or four times, which they described as a "stomping motion," the complaint said.
Police saw a woman in the bar matching the female suspect's description and arrested her. She was identified as Michelle Vue.
The guard pointed out others in the bar he said had assaulted Tai Yang. They were identified as Keng Xiong, Chue Yang, Teng Yang and Thai Chang. Police also arrested Nou Chang and Kou Thao in the bar.
The men are all known members of the G-Locs or White Tigers gang, the complaint said.
Police saw a substance that appeared to be blood on the bottom of Chue Yang's pants and shoes, on Keng Xiong's shoes and pants leg and on Nou Chang's shoes. Thai Chang, who was wearing open-toed shoes, had a large toe that was bloody, and blood on a finger and his shorts.
Police interviewed all the people arrested. They denied being involved, but some changed their stories when police told them that witnesses had identified them or that there was surveillance video.
Husband and wife Michelle Vue and Chue Yang had gone to Moonlight Magic together. Chue Yang said his cousin was one of the people shot. He said he ran over to where Tai Yang was lying on the ground and kicked him once, asking, "Why did you shoot my cousin?" the complaint said.
Thai Chang, who said he "rolls with" the G-Locs, said there was a physical confrontation that night with a rival gang, the Asian Bloods, which Tai Yang was a member of. Thai Yang said he and several fellow gang members chased Tai Yang down and assaulted him. He said he couldn't remember how many times he punched Tai Yang "because everything went so fast" and he had been drinking, the complaint said.
Thai Chang said they were assaulting Tai Yang "because Yang started with them first," the complaint said. He said Tai Yang had "punched one of his homies," the complaint said.
Michelle Vue said she kicked Tai Yang twice.
"Vue then stated that a whole bunch of people chased the victim, and she saw a bunch of guys beating him up," the complaint said. "Vue said this was because everybody was angry about the man who was shot."
Teng Yang said he saw three people fighting with Tai Yang and he had kicked him once in the arm.
Kou Thao said he was outside when shots were fired, but denied getting close to Tai Yang. He said a substance appearing to be blood on his shoes was from his friend who was shot or from a cow his family butchered earlier in the day.
Nou Chang said he went outside and saw Tai Yang on the ground. A preliminary examination showed that footwear pattern impressions on the crotch area of Tai Yang's jeans and his shirt "are consistent in pattern, size and shape" with the sole of Nou Chang's shoe, the complaint said.
Keng Xiong said he ran outside when a fight broke out. He said his friend got shot and, if he had any blood on him, it was from helping his friend. He denied beating Tai Yang.
The seven charged are being held in the Ramsey County jail and expected to make first appearances in court this afternoon.
http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_12352563
