Wenwa Chao, a 53-year-old resident of Monterey Park, California, tragically lost his life on January 19, 2010. Chao was shot and killed in the 200 block of North Chandler Avenue, along with his girlfriend, Jenny Sor, a 40-year-old woman. The couple was visiting a senior housing facility where Chao's father resided when the incident occurred. The shooting took place just before 8 p.m., and both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that the motive behind
the shooting was likely jealousy. The alleged shooter, Richard Vithya Tauch, was Sor's ex-boyfriend. Tauch, a 45-year-old man at the time, followed Sor into the facility through a glass patio door and confronted the couple before opening fire. Tauch was apprehended the following day and booked on suspicion of double murder. He was held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Monterey Park jail.
The legal proceedings against Tauch were extensive. On November 19, 2013, a jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait. These charges stemmed from his premeditated actions, including hiding in Sor's car at her workplace, the Hollywood Park Casino, and following her to the senior housing facility. Tauch was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on June 19, 2014.
The case highlighted the tragic consequences of domestic violence and jealousy, leading to the loss of two lives and a lengthy legal battle that ultimately resulted in justice for the victims.
