Calgary man charged with fatally stabbing brother-in-law outside L.A. bowling alley
Sarah Rieger | CBC News | Posted: September 18, 2018 10:34 PM | Last Updated: September 18, 2018
If convicted, Loi Vi Tran could face the death penalty
A Calgary man could face the death penalty in California, where he's charged with stabbing his brother-in-law to death in the parking lot of a bowling alley while on vacation.
Loi Vi Tran, 40, is charged with one count of murder with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, which makes him eligible for the death penalty, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.
The charge also includes an allegation of using a deadly weapon: a kitchen knife.
Prosecutors say Tran was visiting the area from Canada with his extended family and went bowling Sunday morning at an alley in El Monte.
The city is located in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, east of the City of Los Angeles.
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After the group had played for a few hours, Tran paid for their games and went outside to wait for them.
Tran is accused of exchanging words with his brother-in-law Stephen Tran, 45, before stabbing him in the chest several times around 12:30 p.m.
Officers with the El Monte Police Department arrested Tran at the scene.
His brother-in-law was taken to hospital, where he died.
Prosecutors are requesting that Tran's bail be denied.
If convicted, Tran could face either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The district attorney's office said the decision of whether or not prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Tran will be made at a later date.
The case is still under investigation by the homicide bureau of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.
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