5 charged in carjacking attack on pregnant 1st-grade teacher in Los Angeles
03/25/2019 9:03 pm PDT
By Erika Martin, KTLA
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Five alleged gang members were charged Monday with the attempted murder of a pregnant first-grade teacher who is still recovering following a brutal robbery and carjacking last week in Sunland, officials said.
Tanya Nguyen, 33, was parking outside her Eldora Avenue home around 6 p.m. last Wednesday when she was ambushed and robbed by three men, identified by prosecutors as Christian Reyes, 20; Andrew Bran, 19; and Jesus Morales, 18.
Reyes stabbed Nguyen several times before all three men got into the victim's Kia sedan and drove away, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.
The 12-week-pregnant Nguyen was stabbed 10 times, with one of the blows puncturing her lungs, her husband Greg Maga said.
The men only made it a short distance before crashing into a parked car while trying to flee the scene, authorities said.
Another two defendants — 24-year-old Christina Luna and Monica Gomez, 25 — were waiting nearby in a getaway car, according to the DA's office.
All five were charged with one count each of premeditated attempted murder, carjacking, second-degree robbery and hit-and-run driving resulting in property damage.
Reyes is facing an additional charge of aggravated mayhem, and officials allege he was the one who used a knife to repeatedly stab Nguyen.
Prosecutors believe the group carried out the attack on behalf of and at the direction of a gang.
All five could face a maximum possible sentence of life in state prison if convicted as charged.
After undergoing surgery, Nguyen posted a video to YouTube Sunday saying she was "going to get through this."