Milpitas Murder Suspect Was Victim's Ex-Boyfriend: Police

A 26-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend at her home in Milpitas earlier this week was arraigned Thursday.

Kevin Van Nguyen was arraigned on a felony charge of murder and two misdemeanor counts of battery.

Nguyen allegedly killed 20-year-old Danica Bascos at her home in the 500 block of Manzano Street on Monday, police said.

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Nguyen appeared handcuffed and in a yellow jail uniform at the Hall of Justice in San Jose before Superior Court Judge Allison Danner. Danner issued a one-year protective order against Nguyen barring him from contact with Bascos’ boyfriend, who he allegedly assaulted last month, according to a statement of facts filed in the case by police detective Sgt. Abbie Serrano.

Nearly two-dozen of Bascos’ relatives, mostly cousins and aunts, were in the courtroom at the hearing. When Nguyen entered the courtroom, one of Bascos’ cousins jumped out of his seat and yelled at him, calling the suspect a killer.

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If convicted, Nguyen faces 25 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Kalila Spain said.

Nguyen allegedly assaulted Bascos on Sept. 13 at the Great Mall, where he threatened to “kill her” if she didn’t break up with her current boyfriend, Serrano said. Bascos called her boyfriend, who showed up at the mall and was punched twice in the face by Nguyen, according to Serrano.

Bascos started dating her current boyfriend a month before she died, Serrano said.

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Later on Sept. 13, Nguyen bought a knife, two sets of gloves and a Halloween mask with the intention of killing the woman, Serrano said.

On Monday, Nguyen waited outside Bascos’ home until her parents left, Serrano said. He persuaded Bascos to let him into the residence and her room where he stabbed her in the back multiple times after she again refused to break up with her boyfriend, according to Serrano.

The next day a Milpitas police SWAT team went to Nguyen’s San Jose home, where he initially hid a closet, then later surrendered, Serrano said.

Nguyen claimed “demon voices” told him to kill Bascos, according to Serrano.

Nguyen is scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 16. The death is Milpitas’ first homicide this year, police said.

--Bay City News