Language Barrier Challenges Calif. Murder Probe

March 12--Fontana police faced an unusual challenge Sunday night that went beyond a deadly shooting at a fish market.

The surviving victim and the suspect both speak primarily Vietnamese, and no one at Fontana Police Department knows that language.

"There's not a plethora of Vietnamese-speaking detectives out there," said Fontana police Sgt. Billy Green.

They put out a call to large law enforcement agencies and received a reply from Los Angeles Police Department. One of their detectives talked to the suspect, 46-year-old Lam Randy Hoan.

"They put the detective on the phone with the suspect on a recorded speaker phone," Green said.

But Hoan refused to talk to the detective and requested an attorney.

Now police are trying to determine why Hoan opened fire on the El Pescado Market owners -- a woman and her husband.

Police dispatchers received calls shortly after 7 p.m. reporting gunshots being fired at the market at 9281 Sierra Ave. Officers arrived minutes later and detained the suspect.

The woman, who has not been identified and is described as being between 40 and 50-years-old, died at an area hospital. She suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her upper torso.

The woman's husband also received several gunshot wounds, but is expected to survive. He was listed in stable condition at a hospital, police said.

There were several customers in the store at the time, but none were struck by gunfire.

Investigators do not suspect the shooting is random or robbery

related.

Police said Hoan worked at the market, but officers aren't sure what his job was.

"They're working on exploring all possible angles on what caused this," Green said.

Green said Fontana police don't often run into such language barriers, as they have officers who speak English and Spanish, the primary languages spoken in the city.

But occasionally something unusual surfaces in a criminal case.

Green said he has encountered sexual assault victims who are deaf. Fortunately, the department has a sergeant familiar with sign language.

"It's something that does happen occasionally," Green said.

Anyone with information on this case may call Fontana detectives, 909-350-7720.

Reach Melissa via email or call her at 909-386-3878.

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Copyright 2012 - San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.