GARDEN GROVE : Man Is Shot to Death in Front of His Home

A Garden Grove man was fatally shot early Monday in front of his house by an unknown assailant.

Son Ngoc Nguyen, 37, was killed in front of his home in the 12400 block of Twintree Avenue at 1 a.m., authorities said. Police could not immediately determine a motive.

A police spokesman said investigators could not release further information, but Nguyen’s brother-in-law, Minh Dao, said Nguyen and his wife, Tam Vu, had just backed out of the driveway when the wife noticed a suspicious-looking man in front of the house.

The gunman was a short, slim Asian wearing a white shirt, said Dao, who lives with the Nguyens but was not home at the time.

“My sister was afraid because inside the house was another sister,” he said. “She told her husband she was worried.”

Another Asian man, wearing a blue shirt, then appeared near the car on the driver’s side and shot Nguyen, Dao said his sister told him.

The two suspects fled down Twintree Avenue as Nguyen’s out-of-control car rolled to a stop at the center divider of nearby Harbor Boulevard, Dao said.

“We believe my brother-in-law was shot in the head, because he died instantly,” Dao said.

He added that Nguyen and Vu were married two years ago and had a 15-month-old daughter, Lisa.

“I pray the police catch this man,” Dao said.

Dao said he was mystified by the motive for the shooting. He described Nguyen as a generous man with no enemies.

Nguyen had been unemployed since quitting a jewelry manufacturing job in Burbank about a year ago and was looking for work, Dao said, adding that to help make ends meet, Nguyen was buying and selling cars at a profit. Nguyen and his wife were on their way to look at a car in Commerce when the shooting occurred, Dao said.