Opinion ID: 2640351
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defendant's Assault on Tung he and His Statements While in Jail

Text: In July 1997, Alejandro Villa, who previously had been convicted of and imprisoned for numerous crimes, including commercial burglary, grand theft from a person, grand theft auto, and petty theft, was incarcerated in the same area of the Orange County jail where defendant was in custody awaiting trial in this case. At the time of defendant's trial, Villa was facing charges for armed robbery, assault on a peace officer and emergency personnel, battery on a peace officer and emergency personnel, escape from jail with felony force, and possession of hypodermic needles and syringes. Tung Le, an Asian inmate, was placed in the same jail modular group as Villa and defendant. Before Le arrived, defendant told Villa he wanted Le to be put in their group. When Le arrived, defendant appeared to be excited, rubbing his hands together and smiling at Le. Defendant told Villa he did not like Le and thought Le was a punk, fucking nip, and that he was going to get [Le]. At times, when defendant watched Asians on television, he would mumble or say something. While playing cards in the dayroom, defendant threw Le against a wall and choked him because Le accused defendant of not following the rules of the game. On another occasion, during shower call, defendant choked Le in the shower to the point that Le's face was purple and blue and his veins and his eyeballs were bulging. When Villa warned defendant that he was going to kill Le, defendant told Villa, [Le] is going to tell, he is going to rat. I got to kill him. I got to kill him. Villa then pulled defendant off Le. While in jail, Villa came to believe that defendant hated Asian people based on comments he had heard defendant make. Defendant said that Asian speech sounded like mice talking, like a fast-forward cassette.... Defendant told Villa he was in jail for stabbing a Nip to death. Defendant explained that as the knife was going in, it was afleshy kind of sound and feeling. Defendant stated that he told a friend, Let me show you how easy it is to kill a Vietnamese and get away with it. Defendant also made wise cracks about being the best tennis player because of what had happened on the tennis courts. Villa denied that he expected to receive anything from the Orange County District Attorney's Office in exchange for his testimony in this case.