Man Fatally Stabbed While Out Skating

A 24-year-old man who left his home for a spin on his in-line skates Sunday night was found slain early Monday on the tennis courts at Tustin High School, his body riddled with stab wounds and his skates still on his feet.

The family of Thien Minh Ly did not report him missing until late Monday afternoon, mistakenly believing they had to wait 24 hours before filing a missing-person report, Tustin Police Sgt. Brent Zicarelli said.

Police got a call from Ly’s distraught 22-year-old sister about 4 p.m. saying her brother had never returned from skating, Zicarelli said. Investigators went to the Ly residence with a photo of the slain man and a chaplain in case their fears were realized.

“They were sort of in denial, waiting for him to come home,” Zicarelli said.

Ly often went out at night to skate in the neighborhood, as he did Sunday at 9 p.m., his family told police. The young man, who was unemployed but had a job interview scheduled for Monday, left home without his wallet, Zicarelli said.

“We have no idea on the motive,” Zicarelli said. “Time will tell why somebody did it.”

The discovery of Ly’s brutalized body sent chills through school officials, who at first did not know whether the victim was a Tustin High student.

“The first thing you worry about when something like this happens is if one of our kids was involved,” said Bob Boies, the school principal. “In this case, two assistant principals saw the body and didn’t recognize the person.”

Ly had been stabbed repeatedly in the neck, chest, abdomen and right arm. The slaying probably occurred between 11 p.m. Sunday, when the last of the neighboring youngsters left the area, and 7:45 a.m. Monday, when a school janitor found the body, Zicarelli said.

Detectives found a trail of blood leading from the body across two tennis courts and out a gate. The trail then veered south, ending near a stadium about 900 feet away, Zicarelli said.

“It could be blood from the murder weapon,” Zicarelli said. “We’re not sure at this point.”

The janitor told school officials he was cleaning in the area north of the main campus when he saw a body sprawled on a tennis court. The victim’s sweatshirt was soaked in blood and he was wearing in-line skates, Zicarelli said.

The tennis courts near Orange and Walnut streets are frequented by skaters playing roller hockey on weekends, sometimes pouring out to the streets after the courts’ lights are turned off about 10 p.m., neighbors said.

“There’s usually a group of seven or eight guys out here practicing after the tennis people have vacated,” said Jody Clermont, 34, who lives nearby. “They usually come here about 6:30 or 7 o’clock. . . . I don’t think they live around here.”

Neighbors had complained about noise from the hockey games, prompting city officials to post signs that prohibit skating on the tennis courts, which are open to the public when school is not in session.

“But obviously, people are not paying attention to the signs,” Clermont said.

Dozens of residents gathered Monday outside the court where the killing occurred, some worried that the victim was somebody they knew. But none had recognized Ly. Among the passersby was Danella George, mother of Carl Claes, a 14-year-old Tustin boy who was shot to death in Lemon Heights in 1995. Several teenagers have been convicted as accessories to the crime. Two other suspects, Tommy Miller--a former Tustin High School student--and Jason Merritt, are awaiting trial for murder.

“I was on my way home and wanted to look at the tennis courts where he and I used to play,” said George, who was startled to stumble upon the crime scene.

“I just started shaking. I felt nauseated, yet another murder has occurred. . . . Some other mother and father will have to go through what I’m going through.”

Neighbors who live across the street from the tennis courts said children had been playing in the same area where the body was found until about 11 p.m., but they did not see any violence. Others said they had been home but did not hear anything unusual.

According to Zicarelli, Ly lived at home with his parents and sister. A younger brother lives in Los Angeles. The family has lived in Tustin for 12 years, Zicarelli said.

Zicarelli said many people mistakenly believe they must wait for an allotted time period before reporting a person missing.

“If they are missing somebody and they are worried about them, report them missing immediately,” Zicarelli said. “If they would have reported it last night, we would have gone out looking for him.”

Monday morning, the principal informed students and teachers that a body had been found “so that they’ll know what’s going on.”

Administrators canceled several physical education, track and tennis classes, and school security guards spent part of the day cordoning off the area to keep students away from the body.

“We don’t get a lot of traffic this way that early in the morning,” said Mark Eliot, spokesman for the Tustin Unified School District. “I don’t believe any student saw the body.”

Investigators are asking anyone with information to call (714) 573-3251 or (717) 573-3247.

Times staff writer Lee Romney contributed to this report.