Man Who Fled Fatal DEA Shoot-Out Charged

A man seen speeding away from a residential area minutes after heroin dealers shot and killed two federal drug agents and wounded another was charged Thursday with aiding in the slayings.

A federal complaint filed against Michael Chia, also known as Michael Su Te Chia, charged him with aiding and abetting the premeditated murders of Agents Paul Seema and George Montoya of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The agents were killed last Friday in an undercover heroin deal that went awry.

Chia, 20, also is charged with aiding and abetting the assault on DEA Agent Jose Martinez, who was with Seema and Montoya, and with aiding in the robbery of all three agents.

Chia and two others, Linda Lynn Cheng, 20, and her boyfriend, Jimmy Chien Sun, 19, were seen driving away from the Pasadena scene in a black Mitsubishi.

Cheng and Sun were not charged in the complaint, but were summoned to court as material witnesses. Appearing before a magistrate, Chia and Sun were held without bail pending hearings Feb. 17. Cheng, a student, was ordered freed on $10,000 bond.

William Wang, 18, was charged Tuesday with murdering Seema and Montoya and assaulting Martinez. He was recovering from gunshot wounds at County-USC Medical Center.

Wang and two associates, Wen Heui Kow, 27, and Michael Chow, 19, were shot by backup agents. Kow and Chow were killed.

“Chia stated that he knew of the plans to rob suspected drug dealers by Wang, Mike and another male and that his role (was) to act as a bodyguard for Wang during the robbery,” FBI Agent Jack Page said in a sworn affidavit attached to the complaint against Chia. “He also stated he knew Wang was armed with a handgun and was going to use the handgun during the robbery,” Page said.