By Danae Snell
SACRAMENTO – The language lit up the courtroom—according to the alleged victim and relative of Langlee Vang, the robbery defendant told him during a confrontation last year that he “does not give a f*** about family” and would rather have $374.
Vang is currently being charged with PC section 211, robbery, and his preliminary hearing was this week before Sacramento County Superior Court of Judge Ernest Sawtelle.
Deputy District Attorney Brandon Jack said that six days prior to the incident, Vang reached out to the alleged victim, who works for an insurance company, to open his second insurance policy through the victim. His first insurance policy was opened a year prior to 2018.
The incident took place on September 27, 2019, after the victim received a notification that Vang’s electronic payment lacked the necessary funds of $374—the required down payment for his policy.
At this time, the victim contacted Vang with the hopes of clearing this miscommunication to reprocess his policy.
After having a brief conversation via telephone about the lack of funds, Vang appeared to the alleged victim’s office unannounced with two other men. The victim invited Vang inside his office where Vang was invited to take a seat, but he refused.
Immediately Vang began to demand his money and express his need to get insurance from a different location—even though the victim clearly informed Vang that this happened “due to no payment.”
As Vang demanded his money, the victim claims “one guy stayed at the front door and the other guy stayed right in front of my office door.”
According to the victim, Vang then stated, “I am not playing games with you, just give me my money.”
The alleged victim claims that he attempted to de-escalate the situation by reassuring Vang that they were family and he would never attempt to steal his money. This statement seemed to have had a reverse effect and only frustrated Vang.
Vang yelled “I don’t give a f*** about family” and grabbed the letter opener off the victim’s desk and immediately pointed it at him.
The victim stood within arms distance from Vang, overwhelmed with fear. Vang then went behind the victim’s desk to try to open the drawers that were a part of a filing cabinet, which is where the victim claims he stores his “petty cash.”
During the cross-examination, the defense attorney representing Vang, Assistant Public Defender Corey Thornhill, asked the alleged victim which drawer held the cash. The victim snarked back quickly, “I am not telling you where I keep my cash,” which even caused the judge to crack a smile.
With the fear of being stabbed, the victim claims he opened the cabinet holding the money and gave Vang $300. After giving him the money, Vang left and the victim believed his nightmare was over. Until Vang came back 10 minutes later demanding the remaining $74.
Instead of trying to de-escalate the situation as he did before, the victim immediately handed Vang the money hoping he would leave.
The victim stated that he then called the police to inform them that he had been robbed by not only one of his clients but a family member.
Thornhill spent nearly an hour trying to establish any lack of credibility within the victim during his cross-examination, until the DDA interrupted, asking the court if the victim could refill the parking meter to avoid being fined.
Judge Sawtelle responded with the belief that Thornhill is “surely almost done here. This has to be one of the longest crosses compared to a direct that I have seen.”
Judge Sawtelle ruled that “there was sufficient cause to believe the defendant was guilty,” and set trial for Sept. 29 but advised the attorneys to look at the “bigger picture and find a just resolution.”
Langlee Vang will stand trial by jury on September 29, 2020, at 8:45 am.
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