Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Nightclub Beating Victim Threw First Punch, Defense Attorney Says
Kim Pham died after a brutal beating outside of a Santa Ana nightclub (Photo via Justice for Kim Pham Facebook)
()
The defense attorney for one of the suspects involved in the fatal beating of Annie Hung "Kim" Pham outside of a Santa Ana nightclub claims the victim threw the first punch that ignited the brawl.
Michael Molfetta is representing one of the four suspects police had been searching for, according to the Los Angeles Times. He also noted that authorities have identified the remaining suspects but have not arrested them yet, including his client.
Pham and her friends were waiting in line to enter the Crosby nightclub early morning on Jan. 18 when an argument broke out with another group which led five people to stomp on the victim until she was unconscious on the sidewalk. Pham was declared brain-dead on Sunday, but was on life support until Tuesday so doctors could harvest her donated organs.
One of the suspects, 25-year-old Vanesa Tapia Zavala, was arrested and pleaded not guilty to murder charges in court on Wednesday. Police had found her cell phone that she lost during the melee. Her attorney Kenneth Reed said she didn't partake in the beating and was actually knocked over during the brawl, reported City News Service.
Support for LAist comes from
A witness and friend of Pham's told the Los Angeles Times that the argument started because Pham accidentally walked into the photo of another group.
However, Molfetta paints a different picture of what happened that tragic evening. He alleges the dispute started when one of Zavala's friends inadvertently bumped into Pham.
“My understanding is that Pham threw the first punch, which landed on the face of Vanesa Zavala,” Molfetta told the Los Angeles Times. "From there the thing escalated very quickly, very violently, and there were a number of people in line with Ms. Pham that attacked the people that Ms. Zavala was with."
Pham, an aspiring writer, had graduated from Chapman last year with a degree in psychology, and in her free time raised money for the fight against breast cancer and also for tsunami victims in Japan.
If you have any information about the incident, contact Santa Ana police at (714) 245-8390.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility. -
UCLA and University of California leaders are fighting Trump’s demands for a $1.2 billion settlement over a litany of accusations, including that the campus permits antisemitism.
Best of LAist