Woman Is Slain by a Gunman Who Knocked at Her Front Door

A man who knocked on the front door of a home Friday and asked the maid if he could speak to the owner apparently then shot and killed the resident as the maid fled out the back door with the children.

Sheriff’s deputies said the shooting occurred at about noon in the 9600 block of Crestview Circle after the maid went to get her employer. Soon after, a shot was fired, and the maid called 911 from a neighbor’s phone. Police found the children’s mother shot to death in an upstairs bedroom.

Police have not identified the victim, but neighbors said she is Janie Pang, 33. Pang’s husband was in San Francisco on a business trip, neighbors and the family’s lawyer said. It was not clear if the killer forced his way in.

Authorities were searching for the killer, described by the maid as white, 5 feet 11 and in his mid 30s. He fled in a dark-colored Ford Taurus or Chevy Cavalier.

Neighbor Kui Ching Ho said the couple has a boy about 5 years old, and Janie Pang has two other children from a previous marriage, Ho said. It was not clear how many of the children were home at the time of the shooting.

Pang’s death stunned residents of the posh neighborhood. Crime is considered so remote that many people said they often don’t lock their doors. “We’ve always felt safe . . . ,” said Dawn Thurston, 49, a Crestview resident. “But when I heard about it, I got goosebumps. When a woman opens the door, she’s really kind of captive.”

Thurston said she frequently saw Janie Pang gardening in the front yard or in-line skating down the street. Carefully maintained rose bushes line the walkway to the Pangs’ front door, and small white lights adorn several trees.

“She’s a stunning woman; she would be noticed by anybody,” Thurston said. “She was just beautiful.”

Thurston’s son Tyson, 17, said he sits next to Pang’s son in history class at Villa Park High School.

“He’s just a nice guy,” Tyson Thurston said.

Jimmy Blair, 64, a retired boxer who lives a few houses away, said the neighborhood had experienced some vandalism recently. His car window was shot out Sunday and other neighbors reported similar damage.

Blair said he was driving by the Pangs’ house about noon and heard a scream from inside. “But you know, I just didn’t think anything of it. I really didn’t pay attention to it.

“Now I fear for my wife,” he said. “Is someone going to come up and shoot her? This is a wake-up call. I’m scared to death now, and I’m locking all the doors tonight.”

The Pangs moved into the two-story home about two years ago, purchasing it from their attorney and family friend, Bill Baker.

Pang’s husband, Danny, has a computer business, neighbors said.

Also contributing to this report was Times staff writer Thao Hua.