3 Arrested in Fatal Cafe Shooting

Three people were arrested Sunday in connection with the weekend shooting death of a Colorado man who was hit in the cross-fire of a gang-related attack that left two others wounded at a crowded Little Saigon coffeehouse, police said.

The suspects in the Saturday afternoon shooting were identified as Dung Le, 22, of Anaheim, Hoang Le, 19, of Garden Grove, who is not related to Dung Le, and a 17-year-old who is believed to have been the shooter, police said.

Sgt. Jack Davidson said the shooting at the Cafe Thach Thao coffeehouse in the 8900 block of Bolsa Avenue erupted about 2:20 p.m. when the 17-year-old walked in and approached a group of about 10 people sitting at one of the tables.

Toan Tran, a 20-year-old from Aurora, Colo., who had ties to a Westminster gang and who was shot in the attack, died Sunday at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, said Davidson.

The shooting, police said, had nothing to do with the celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese new year, about a half-mile away in Little Saigon.

Tran was sitting with Kevin Le, of Garden Grove, and others when the youth approached their table. Kevin Le, 28, who is not related to any of the others with the same last name, stood up and attempted to run when the youth pulled out a handgun and opened fire, Davidson said.

The shots sent a crowd of about 15 people running to the back of the coffeehouse where Long Le, unaffiliated with any gangs and unrelated to the other Les, was using a pay phone. Two shots hit Kevin Le, an errant bullet pierced Long Le’s head and Tran was shot as he staggered to the back alley, he said.

Kevin Le and Long Le were taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange where they both remain in stable condition, Davidson said. Tran was pronounced dead at 1:54 a.m. at Western Medical. “It looks like [Long Le] just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Westminster Lt. Bill Lewis.

Several witnesses told police the gunman had escaped after he fired about half a dozen shots and jumped into a black Acura Integra with a driver and passenger waiting, police said.

A security officer at the strip mall jotted the suspect’s description and car license plate and reported it to police when they arrived. The information led investigators to the home of Dung Le.

After questioning Dung Le, police were led to two other suspects. The name of the 17-year-old was not released because of his age.

Dung Le and Hoang Le remain at the Huntington Beach City Jail and the 17-year-old was taken to Juvenile Hall. They are being held on suspicion of murder, officials said.

No weapon has been found and police believe it was thrown out of the vehicle.

Authorities said Vietnamese coffee shops are popular spots for gang members and the trend is a growing problem for law enforcement.

“This is an ongoing problem in Little Saigon coffeehouses,” Davidson said. “This breed of coffeehouses, which look like small nightclubs, is a haven for these gang members to meet.”

Many of the shops have heavily tinted windows and dim lighting and some even have illegal gambling inside, he said.

“Even in the daytime, officers cannot go inside without a flashlight,” Davidson added.

Police are pushing for a stricter city ordinance that will require coffeehouses to have brighter lighting, clear windows and security cameras inside to deter gang activities.

Time staff writer Len Hall contributed to this report.