Brothers, 3rd Man Indicted in Slaying of 2 in Stanton

The Orange County Grand Jury on Wednesday indicted two brothers and a third man in connection with a fatal shooting of two men in a Stanton apartment last year.

The indictment names Fullerton residents Dan Huu Mai, 36, his brother Khanh Phuoc Mai, 35, and Hung Van Mai, 35, who is not related to the brothers.

Each man is charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of the special circumstance of multiple murder.

The grand jury alleges the special circumstance because two men were killed in the same incident, Deputy Dist. Atty. Paul E. Odwald said. The special circumstance finding means prosecutors can seek the death penalty, but Odwald said no decision has been made yet.

In addition, the indictment charges Dan Mai with use of a firearm and Khanh Mai and Hung Mai with being armed with a firearm, Odwald said.

The three men were arrested Nov. 20 in Fullerton, four days after a shooting in the 10000 block of Fern Avenue. Chien Xuan Nguyen, 22, and Ba Van Tran, 20, died as a result of gunshots to the head.

Son Van Tran, 39, one of six witnesses who testified before the grand jury, survived gunshot wounds to the head, neck and hand.

Chien Nguyen came to Orange County with two half brothers and their maternal grandparents under a U.S. program for Amerasians and settled in Stanton. He wanted to find his mother and American father.

All three indicted men were being held in Orange County Jail in Santa Ana without bail, Odwald said. They are scheduled to appear Monday in Orange County Superior Court for arraignment.