By AMY TAXIN and STEFANIE DAZIO
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The person charged with opening hearth on a Taiwanese church congregation of primarily aged individuals in Southern California wished to “execute in chilly blood as many individuals in that room as doable,” a prosecutor stated Tuesday in asserting homicide, tried homicide and different costs for the capturing that killed one individual and wounded 5.
Orange County District Lawyer Todd Spitzer described David Wenwei Chou, 68, as a monster whose rampage was thwarted by the heroic actions of a health care provider who charged at him, a pastor who hit Chou with a chair and several other parishioners who tied him up till police arrived.
“This monster crafted a diabolical plan to lock the church doorways along with his victims inside with a view to lead what he thought have been harmless lambs to slaughter,” Spitzer stated. “However what he didn’t understand was the parishioners on the church that day weren’t lambs – they have been lions and so they fought again towards the evil that attempted to infiltrate their home of worship.”
Spitzer stated Chou was motivated by hatred for Taiwan, the place he was born after his household was pressured from mainland China when Communists prevailed in a civil warfare that led to 1949. He apparently selected the church at random and didn’t know anybody there, authorities stated.
He drove from his house in Las Vegas on Saturday and arrived on the church the subsequent day. Chou spent about an hour mingling with dozens of members of the congregation at a luncheon, which Spitzer stated was Chou’s manner of gaining their belief in order that they wouldn’t discover as he started finishing up his plot — chaining closed doorways, tremendous gluing locks and putting incendiary gadgets in a number of places.
Chou’s methodology amounted to “mendacity in wait,” Spitzer stated, a authorized designation that may improve penalties if he’s convicted.
“This case is concerning the individual concealing themselves in plain view,” he stated.
If Chou is convicted and the jury finds the enhancements to be true, he would face a sentence of both life in jail with out chance of parole or the dying penalty, Spitzer stated.
Chou’s arraignment was continued to June 10 and he didn’t enter a plea throughout his first court docket look on Tuesday. He’ll proceed to be held with out bail. His public defender, Tania Vallejo, didn’t instantly return an e-mail requesting remark.
Authorities have stated Chou — a U.S. citizen who labored for years as a safety guard — was motivated by hatred of Taiwanese individuals documented in handwritten notes that authorities discovered. Spitzer stated he’s contemplating hate crime costs however wants extra time to analyze.
“Whereas there’s very robust proof proper now that this was motivated by hate, we wish to be certain we’ve got put collectively all of the proof that confirms that idea within the case,” he stated. Federal authorities are conducting their very own hate crime investigation.
Tensions between China and Taiwan are on the highest in a long time, with Beijing stepping up its navy harassment by flying fighter jets towards the self-governing island. China has not dominated out drive to reunify with Taiwan.
Chou had ties to a Las Vegas group against Taiwan’s independence from China, in line with Taiwanese media.
Balmore Orellana, a former neighbor in Las Vegas, stated Chou had been a pleasant landlord however his life unraveled after his spouse left him final yr and returned to Taiwan. Spitzer stated the suspect’s spouse is terminally in poor health.
Chou moved right into a four-bedroom home in February. His roommate, Jordin Davis, stated he was a sort and quiet man who typically shared his meals. Chou recognized himself as a Christian and made a cross in black tape on the roof of his automotive however by no means talked about faith, Davis stated.
The 2 had few conversations past small speak or chatting about Davis’ canine, Zeus. Chou would “come house, fall asleep, take a bathe, go to work and simply repeat that routine another time,” Davis stated.
Chou solely spoke about Taiwan as soon as, throughout a dialog lower than two weeks in the past, Davis stated. Chou stated he felt the Taiwanese authorities was corrupt and disliked how individuals on the island have been sympathetic to the management.
“He made himself look like he was principally a political refugee,” Davis stated.
Authorities searched the house on Monday, Davis stated, and took a laptop computer. Officers have stated they’re investigating digital data as a part of the investigation.
Chou is accused firing at parishioners throughout a Sunday luncheon for members of Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church locally of Laguna Woods.
He had two 9 mm handguns — legally bought years in the past in Las Vegas — and three baggage, containing 4 Molotov-cocktail-type incendiary gadgets and further ammunition, in line with authorities. He opened hearth and within the ensuing chaos Dr. John Cheng, 52, tackled him, permitting different parishioners to subdue him and tie him up with an extension wire, the authorities stated.
Cheng died and 5 individuals have been wounded, together with an 86-year-old lady and 4 males starting from 66 to 92, the sheriff’s division stated. Some have already got been launched from the hospital and others have been in steady situation, in line with the church’s former pastor, Billy Chang.
The luncheon got here after a morning service to welcome Chang, who had served the church for 20 years. Chang moved again to Taiwan two years in the past and this was his first time again.
Chou entered the church sanctuary throughout providers, giving his title to the receptionist as “Da-Wei Chou,” and sat within the again studying one of many church-provided Chinese language-language newspapers, in line with a church assertion issued Tuesday.
He was sporting a black shirt with a phrase written on it in white that some believed stated “Safety,” the assertion stated.
The service was adopted by an grownup Sunday college session that Chou apparently didn’t attend, however he confirmed up later on the lunch, the church stated.
Close to the top of the lunch, some parishioners took photos with Chang and began leaving. They noticed Chou starting to lock the doorways with iron chains however he allowed them to exit, the church assertion stated.
“After they requested him about his actions, he refused to reply. They assumed he was a safety guard,” the assertion stated.
One man forgot some issues contained in the church and wished to return, however Chou didn’t let him into the corridor and one other church member who was inside stated he noticed Chou nailing two exit doorways shut, the assertion stated.
In a press release Tuesday recounting the capturing, Chang stated he first thought Chou was utilizing a toy gun as a prank when Chou opened hearth. When Chang realized it was precise gunfire, he picked up a chair and threw it at Chou, who fell on the ground. Chang rushed at Chou and three different congregation members held Chou down and tied him up.
“It wasn’t till then I seen that Dr. Cheng was mendacity facedown to my entrance proper with three bloody bullet wounds on the again, not transferring,” Chang stated.
Authorities have stated that Cheng had charged at Chou and disrupted the gunfire. Sheriff Don Barnes on Monday known as Cheng’s heroism “a gathering of excellent versus evil” that most likely saved the lives “of upwards of dozens of individuals.”
Cheng, who practiced sports activities medication, had not too long ago misplaced his father and took his mom to the luncheon. He was well-known locally and appreciated by his sufferers.
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Related Press journalists John Antczak in Los Angeles, and Ken Ritter in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
