Vietnamese American man nicked for suspected car theft in southern Vietnam

By Nguyet Trieu   August 9, 2017 | 02:17 am PT
Vietnamese American man nicked for suspected car theft in southern Vietnam
Car theft suspect Kevin Long Nguyen was arrested in Binh Duong Province on Wednesday. Photo by VnExpres/Thanh Hai
A group of vigilantes chased the man down when they spotted him driving the stolen vehicle.

A Vietnamese American man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly stealing a car in the southern province of Binh Duong, which neighbors Saigon, several days ago.

The man was captured by CCTV spiriting away a white Honda Civic outside a shopping mall on Sunday. 

The owner of the car has been identified as Pham Viet Anh, a local in Binh Duong. But at the time of the theft, it was being driven by a young woman who had stopped to withdraw cash from an ATM. 

On Wednesday morning, a group of vigilantes who have taken it upon themselves to patrol their neighborhoods spotted the car in Binh Duong's Thu Dau Mot Town.

When the man realized he'd been identified, he tried to drive off, but the gang chased him down and forced him to stop.

He has been identified as Kevin Long Nguyen, 29, a Vietnamese American.

At the police station, Long said he was a crystal meth addict and had returned to Vietnam for eight months after losing his job in the U.S.

He also claimed he had been applying for a job at the shopping mall on Sunday, which he failed to get. As he was leaving the mall, Long noticed the car with the key in the ignition, so he jumped in and drove off.

Long said he'd been trying to sell the car for VND470 million ($20,600) but was unable to find a buyer because he didn't have the registration papers.

Binh Duong police are investigating the case further.

 
 
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