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The two people found dead in a murder-suicide on the University of California, Irvine, campus Tuesday were identified as a former student and his elderly mother.
Andrew Nguyen Doan, 36, picked up his 77-year-old mother Thao Nguyen and “threw her” off a multi-story campus building before jumping to his own death around 4 p.m., investigators said Wednesday.
Though Doan’s motive remains unknown, police said they had interacted with the former UC Irvine student “multiple times in the past.” The Irvine Police Department last dealt with him in regards to a “mental health concern” in 2019 while he was attending the school.
Doan was a biological sciences major at school from September 2017 to June 2019, UCI spokesman Tom Vasich told the Los Angeles Times. Doan never graduated and no longer had an affiliation with the university.
Doan was admitted to a mental institution sometime in 2019 and sexually battered his roommate, an Orange County district attorney’s office spokesperson told the LA Times. He was arrested but was released from custody after his mother posted his $100,000 bail.
After pleading guilty to the charges, Doan was sentenced to 156 days in jail and given three years probation, which ended in July this year, Orange County Superior Court records state.
Doan and Nguyen lived together in Irvine. Their longtime neighbor Michael Bertin told the Press-Telegram that Doan was known as a “troubled young man.”
“(Doan) had demons,” Bertin said. “It’s a horrible thing.”
Bertin said Nguyen was known as a king but withdrawn woman who was often seen gardening in her front lawn. Bertin said he had not seen Doan in some time, but didn’t recall ever seeing the mother and son duo argue.
According to Vasich, suicide prevention phone numbers and words of caution are posted in the stairwells and along the landings of the buildings were Doan and Nguyen’s bodies were found.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
