2nd Guilty Plea in Store Owner’s Slaying
The second of two Orange County men charged in the fatal shooting of an El Cajon liquor store owner has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
Tin Trung Ngo, 20, will face a maximum prison term of 12 years. He pleaded guilty Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Allan J. Preckel.
In a plea bargain with prosecutors, more serious charges of robbery and murder, which could have brought a life prison sentence, were dismissed.
Ngo’s accomplice, Hai Van Nguyen, 19, pleaded guilty to murder April 23 in a plea bargain in which prosecutors dropped allegations that could have brought the death penalty if Nguyen was convicted. Nguyen faces life in prison without parole.
Nguyen admitted firing the shots that killed Thamir (Tom) Mikhael, 31, and badly wounded a clerk at the liquor store. Prosecutors said Ngo was the driver and waited in the car during the robbery and shooting.
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