Toddler slain, others hurt in rampage
Police say arrested man was on drug binge before attack on family.
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As neighbors watched in horror, a Sacramento man bludgeoned his 1-year-old niece to death with a sledgehammer in a Monday afternoon attack on his family that left two others fighting for their lives, officials and witnesses said.
Xer "Mario" Vang, 33, was on a drug binge when he attacked the child along with his brother, brother-in-law and sister-in-law at their Del Paso Heights home, said Sacramento Police Sgt. Justin Risley.
"It was the worst thing I've ever seen," said neighbor Rochonne "Pepper" Jones, who opened her door to some of the family members as they ran from Vang. "I saw the fear in everyone."
Vang was arrested shortly after the attacks.
Risley said that just after noon on Monday, Vang entered the home he shared with his family in the 3600 block of Pinell Street, asking his brother for a cigarette. Vang rummaged about for a few minutes, then found a sledgehammer and lashed out, hitting his brother in the head.
Hearing the commotion, Vang's brother-in-law, who was outside, rushed to the front door. He was holding a small child, but managed to set the child down before Vang attacked him with the sledgehammer, police and neighbors said. Vang took several swings at the brother-in-law's head, they said.
Terrified family members were getting into a minivan, Risley said, when Vang swung the hammer and shattered a window. Everyone ran from the van and Vang chased his sister-in-law, who was carrying his 1-year-old niece, Cynthia Yang.
The sister-in-law ran toward a neighbor's house but fell and dropped the toddler.
Neighbor Delbert Lang, who witnessed the rampage, said Vang yelled and grunted as he fatally struck the girl twice.
"I thought he was killing a dog," Lang said. "He was so out of control. He was killing a family member."
Names of the other victims were not immediately available. Risley said the brother, 19, and sister-in-law, 38, were hospitalized in critical condition Monday night. The brother-in-law, 17, was injured but not critically. All were hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center.
Vang did not seem to have a job or children, neighbors said. He was usually friendly, they said, whenever they saw him walking his dog or riding a bike.
James Haines, who lives next door, said Vang seemed distant lately.
Police said they had contact with Vang and his family three times on Sunday and Monday because of his bizarre behavior.
About 10:50 p.m. Sunday, Vang made an incoherent phone call to police, Risley said. Officers went to the house on Pinell Street but found no appearance of a crime. Risley said officers did not have grounds to arrest Vang or to hold him for mental illness reasons because there was nothing to indicate he was a danger to himself or others.
Vang's sister-in-law then called police at 11:15 p.m. Sunday to report that her 14-year-old son was missing with Vang and that she was afraid for her son because Vang had been taking drugs. Police found the boy at a friend's house later, but Vang was not with him, Risley said.
Haines said the 14-year-old nephew who had been reported missing told him Vang was sleeping under a bridge Sunday night.
Regional Transit police spotted Vang at 7:06 a.m. Monday, as he dug in the ground near his neighborhood at the Roseville Road light-rail station. Risley said officers dropped Vang off at his sister's house on the 5300 block of Norwood Avenue.
"For us, we are frustrated with limited resources," Risley said. "Clearly the behavior, strange as it was, was neither a violation of the law, nor did it meet the criteria we have to put him under arrest."
Despite the family's troubles over the past two days, neighbors said their home - filled with 10 children and several generations - was friendly and peaceful.
"It was like something just flipped in his head," said neighbor B.J. Burton, who also witnessed the attack.
Jones gave refuge to another female family member and four children, even as Vang told her not to let them in. Everyone in the home was crying.
"The kids were in shock. They were traumatized," she said.
For a while, Vang paced in the street, witnesses said. When one family member asked about the brother-in-law, Vang said he had killed him, said Lang. Vang also uttered the word "fun" at least once in the attack, police said.
Several people called 911 about 12:20 p.m. Monday, Risley said. A Grant Unified School District police officer who was nearby was the first to arrive, just as Vang was driving away. The officer gave chase until Vang crashed at Santa Ana Avenue and Rio Linda Boulevard, where he was arrested. He remained jailed late Monday.
After the attack, a nephew of Vang's returned to the scene.
"Something just went wrong today," Chia Her said.
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Murdering family members (toddlers even) with a sledgehammer during a drug induced rage.
Something sure did go wrong today. Why didn't the neighbors help? Why didn't they shoot him? This lunatic smashed a kid in the middle of their neighborhood while everyone just watched in disbelief. I do believe shooting a madman before he smashes a sledgehammer into a toddler qualifies as "...in defense of others." (even in Kali)
Ed
Police say arrested man was on drug binge before attack on family.
Link
As neighbors watched in horror, a Sacramento man bludgeoned his 1-year-old niece to death with a sledgehammer in a Monday afternoon attack on his family that left two others fighting for their lives, officials and witnesses said.
Xer "Mario" Vang, 33, was on a drug binge when he attacked the child along with his brother, brother-in-law and sister-in-law at their Del Paso Heights home, said Sacramento Police Sgt. Justin Risley.
"It was the worst thing I've ever seen," said neighbor Rochonne "Pepper" Jones, who opened her door to some of the family members as they ran from Vang. "I saw the fear in everyone."
Vang was arrested shortly after the attacks.
Risley said that just after noon on Monday, Vang entered the home he shared with his family in the 3600 block of Pinell Street, asking his brother for a cigarette. Vang rummaged about for a few minutes, then found a sledgehammer and lashed out, hitting his brother in the head.
Hearing the commotion, Vang's brother-in-law, who was outside, rushed to the front door. He was holding a small child, but managed to set the child down before Vang attacked him with the sledgehammer, police and neighbors said. Vang took several swings at the brother-in-law's head, they said.
Terrified family members were getting into a minivan, Risley said, when Vang swung the hammer and shattered a window. Everyone ran from the van and Vang chased his sister-in-law, who was carrying his 1-year-old niece, Cynthia Yang.
The sister-in-law ran toward a neighbor's house but fell and dropped the toddler.
Neighbor Delbert Lang, who witnessed the rampage, said Vang yelled and grunted as he fatally struck the girl twice.
"I thought he was killing a dog," Lang said. "He was so out of control. He was killing a family member."
Names of the other victims were not immediately available. Risley said the brother, 19, and sister-in-law, 38, were hospitalized in critical condition Monday night. The brother-in-law, 17, was injured but not critically. All were hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center.
Vang did not seem to have a job or children, neighbors said. He was usually friendly, they said, whenever they saw him walking his dog or riding a bike.
James Haines, who lives next door, said Vang seemed distant lately.
Police said they had contact with Vang and his family three times on Sunday and Monday because of his bizarre behavior.
About 10:50 p.m. Sunday, Vang made an incoherent phone call to police, Risley said. Officers went to the house on Pinell Street but found no appearance of a crime. Risley said officers did not have grounds to arrest Vang or to hold him for mental illness reasons because there was nothing to indicate he was a danger to himself or others.
Vang's sister-in-law then called police at 11:15 p.m. Sunday to report that her 14-year-old son was missing with Vang and that she was afraid for her son because Vang had been taking drugs. Police found the boy at a friend's house later, but Vang was not with him, Risley said.
Haines said the 14-year-old nephew who had been reported missing told him Vang was sleeping under a bridge Sunday night.
Regional Transit police spotted Vang at 7:06 a.m. Monday, as he dug in the ground near his neighborhood at the Roseville Road light-rail station. Risley said officers dropped Vang off at his sister's house on the 5300 block of Norwood Avenue.
"For us, we are frustrated with limited resources," Risley said. "Clearly the behavior, strange as it was, was neither a violation of the law, nor did it meet the criteria we have to put him under arrest."
Despite the family's troubles over the past two days, neighbors said their home - filled with 10 children and several generations - was friendly and peaceful.
"It was like something just flipped in his head," said neighbor B.J. Burton, who also witnessed the attack.
Jones gave refuge to another female family member and four children, even as Vang told her not to let them in. Everyone in the home was crying.
"The kids were in shock. They were traumatized," she said.
For a while, Vang paced in the street, witnesses said. When one family member asked about the brother-in-law, Vang said he had killed him, said Lang. Vang also uttered the word "fun" at least once in the attack, police said.
Several people called 911 about 12:20 p.m. Monday, Risley said. A Grant Unified School District police officer who was nearby was the first to arrive, just as Vang was driving away. The officer gave chase until Vang crashed at Santa Ana Avenue and Rio Linda Boulevard, where he was arrested. He remained jailed late Monday.
After the attack, a nephew of Vang's returned to the scene.
"Something just went wrong today," Chia Her said.
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Murdering family members (toddlers even) with a sledgehammer during a drug induced rage.
Something sure did go wrong today. Why didn't the neighbors help? Why didn't they shoot him? This lunatic smashed a kid in the middle of their neighborhood while everyone just watched in disbelief. I do believe shooting a madman before he smashes a sledgehammer into a toddler qualifies as "...in defense of others." (even in Kali)
Ed
