Fugitive wife arrested with husband and two guns in shooting

Four years ago, Nguyen Thi Tu Anh went to Khanh Vinh town, Khanh Vinh district (Khanh Hoa) to buy two plots of land from Ms. Vu Thi Hoat for 2 billion VND, but only deposited 200 million VND. Although the seller had completed the procedures to transfer the red book to Tu Anh, because she had not paid the full amount, Ms. Hoat still kept the red book.

Using the land information obtained earlier, in February 2019, Tu Anh contacted via social networks to order 2 fake red books for 5 million VND. After that, Tu Anh asked Ms. Hoat to bring 2 real red books to Nha Trang City so that Tu Anh could borrow capital to pay off the debt.

There, Tu Anh found an excuse to swap and return 2 fake red books to Ms. Hoat, took 2 real red books and mortgaged 1.3 billion VND... When the incident was exposed, Ms. Hoat reported the crime, so the Nha Trang City Police Department investigated and issued a decision to prosecute Nguyen Thi Tu Anh for the above crime from October 9, 2023, but because this subject fled the locality, she was wanted from October 23.

It is determined that during Nguyen Thi Tu Anh's journey of hiding, she was always supported by her husband, Le Xuan Thang (born in 1981, residing in Phuoc Ha village, Phuoc Dong commune, Nha Trang city). While Thang is the suspect in the shooting at a restaurant in Vinh Phuoc ward, Nha Trang city in early November 2023, it is very likely that this subject will use a gun to fight back when being chased.

Assigned to search for Nguyen Thi Tu Anh, Major Pham Quoc Hoa - Deputy Head of the Economic and Official Crime Investigation Team of Nha Trang City Police, along with 3 teammates who are detectives and investigators, established a plan and conducted investigations from many sources. However, Thang and Anh are no longer temporarily residing in the rented apartment in Vinh Truong Ward, Nha Trang City. Their 2-year-old child has also left the house of his grandmother, Tran Thi Nha, in Vinh Hoa Ward, Nha Trang City.

Expanding the verification of Thang's relationships, the working group learned that this subject was originally from Bac Giang and had lived in Khanh Hoa for many years and had worked as a bonsai trader in Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Dak Lak... so it was not ruled out that the couple Thang - Anh would go to these localities to hide.

After many days of intensive investigation, in mid-November 2023, the detectives got information that on the night of November 1, Tu Anh hired a taxi to take her son to Phu Yen. The next day (November 2), Thang hired a taxi to the meeting point to hide with his wife in Tuy An district (Phu Yen), but it is not clear in which village or neighborhood.

Determined to capture the suspect as soon as possible to prevent the danger from the hidden gun, at noon on November 18, Major Pham Quoc Hoa directly commanded the working group to Phu Yen to coordinate with colleagues from the Criminal Police Team of Tuy An District Police, Chi Thanh Town Police and some neighboring communes, to conduct a check on people staying in hotels, motels, rental apartments and families with relatives from Khanh Hoa, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Dak Lak, Lam Dong.

In addition, the detectives also approached many restaurants, cafes, kindergartens and nurseries to search for the suspect and Tu Anh's illegitimate child.

After nearly 4 hours of investigation, on the evening of November 18, detectives were informed by local residents that a strange couple often came to a coffee shop in Chi Thanh town, Tuy An district early every morning; their identifying characteristics were similar to the images provided by the detectives.

According to the plan outlined with the active support of Tuy An District Police, when Thang drove a motorbike carrying Tu Anh and her stepchild to the coffee shop on the morning of November 19, Major Pham Quoc Hoa suddenly rushed in and knocked Thang down so his teammates could handcuff him, while Lieutenant Colonel Le Quang Vinh and his teammates rushed in to control and arrest Tu Anh according to the wanted notice.

At Tuy An District Police headquarters, Thang confessed to being the subject who caused the shooting in Nha Trang City.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of November 1st, when Thang and Anh, along with two other young men, went to a porridge shop on Cao Van Be Street, Vinh Phuoc Ward, Nha Trang City to meet Dang Nguyen H (born in 1983, residing in Phuoc Hai Ward, Nha Trang City) and three other people to settle the deposit of 200 million VND to buy a plot of land in Vinh Hoa Ward and compensate for the deposit due to Thang's breach of contract. After more than ten minutes of negotiation, Tu Anh left the shop, and Thang agreed to pay the deposit and compensate for the deposit with the condition of late payment. A short while later, Thang went into the restroom inside the shop for a few minutes, then came out, pulled out a silver-white pistol, pointed the muzzle at H's group and pulled the trigger. After the explosion, Thang ran to a motorbike of a young man waiting on the side of the road to escape. Fortunately, the shooting did not cause any casualties.

It is known that Le Xuan Thang was sentenced to 4 years in prison by the People's Court of Dien Khanh district (Khanh Hoa) for the crime of "Circulating counterfeit money" in Judgment No. 48/HSST dated November 8, 2005 and left prison on October 14, 2008.

Along with continuing to investigate the crime of "Using fake documents of agencies and organizations" against Nguyen Thi Tu Anh, the Nha Trang City Police Department has issued a decision to request an appraisal of the two seized guns to have a basis to handle Le Xuan Thang according to the law.