Suspect Runs Into Police at Clinic

A 20-year-old Westminster man wanted in connection with several fatal shootings in the past several months was arrested Thursday when he walked into a medical clinic to see a doctor and ran into police.

Lam T. Nguyen has been the subject of a manhunt in connection with shootings at a Laundromat, a restaurant and elsewhere, Sgt. Jack Davidson of the Westminster Police Department said. Three to four people have been killed in the shootings, he said.

Nguyen was arrested about 4:20 p.m. at a medical center near Euclid Avenue and Westminster Boulevard. Davidson said he and Detective Mark Nye happened to be in the clinic serving a search warrant on another matter when they saw Nguyen.

“This has been a manhunt for awhile,” Davidson said. “We’ve been chasing him with helicopters for two weeks.”

Nguyen was booked at the Orange County jail on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Police believe the suspect “is responsible as a principal party in several shootings in the cities of Garden Grove, Westminster and the Stanton area,” a statement said. Davidson said investigators did not want to elaborate on the shootings because the investigation is continuing.

The attacks appear to be gang-related, but the motives are not known, he said.