Three charged with murder for killing dog thief suspect

Le Hoang Anh, 23, Dang Dinh Cuong, 20, and Pham Minh Phuc, 16, all male, were charged with murder, Dak Lak prosecutors said Saturday.

Le Hoang Anh, Dang Dinh Cuong and Pham Minh Phuoc are questioned by the police in Dak Lak, April 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Oanh

Anh and Cuong were also being accused of property destruction, prosecutors added.

On April 23, Anh, Cuong and Phuc were at a restaurant when they saw 19-year-old Duy and a friend riding a motorbike, apparently having stolen dogs.

The three then got on a taxi driven by Anh to chase down the two people on the motorbike. Cuong and Phuc incited Anh to hit the motorbike and Anh did, at a speed of 109 kph.

The impact caused Duy and his friend to be flung far away, while the motorbike got caught underneath the car and was dragged for 150 m. The car only stopped when it hit an electric pole.

Duy died immediately, while his friend was severely injured. Property damage from the incident was estimated at VND103 million ($4,378).

The motorbike of two dog thieves became ruins after it was hit by a car driven by Le Hoang Anh in Dak Lak, April 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Oanh

Authorities said Duy and his friend did steal dogs and cats, but there was insufficient evidence to charge them with a crime.

Vietnam consumes an estimated five million dogs a year, second only to China's 20 million. Many dogs served at restaurants are stolen pets sold to small, unregulated abattoirs, reports say.

Dog theft has become so common that many residents would turn themselves into vigilantes. There have been reports of dog thieves heavily beaten by angry mobs.