Accused RSM Tire Slasher Goes To Trial This Week

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — The case of the Rancho Santa Margarita tire slasher continues to languish, with a continuance to Thursday, according to Santa Ana Courts.

On Sept. 15, My Ngoc Tien Nguyen, was charged with slashing tires on more than 20 vehicles over a five-month period in Rancho Santa Margarita, Mission Viejo and Tustin.

A resident of Tustin, Nguyen was released on $100,000 bail in September and has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of vandalism where damage of over $400 was assessed in two cases, and three misdemeanor counts of vandalism totaling under $400.

Nguyen was arrested in April of 2017 on suspicion of vandalizing over 20 vehicles in a 5 month period of time, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department, following an intensive investigation where multiple witnesses were interviewed, and surveillance video was reviewed by officials.

Some of that surveillance came from an unnamed resident of Rancho Santa Margarita who set up the RSM Slasher Facebook page has tracked the suspect across the city, posting the suspect's whereabouts from day to day.

He was relieved at the news of Nguyen's original arrest, as were 1,000 of his closest friends.

The Rancho Santa Margarita Chief of Police Services reached out to the community in a letter, thanking residents for their patience during the investigation of the RSM Slasher.

"While the first reported incidents occurred in late 2016, the recent increase in severity and frequency of the crimes prompted a comprehensive investigation requiring multiple resources," Chief of Police Services, Lt. Luke South said. "Apprehension and identification of the suspect responsible became the top priority for my investigative team and patrol deputies."

According to South, when crimes occur, it is on the shoulders of law enforcement to conduct a thorough and accurate investigation that proves beyond any and all reasonable doubt that the suspect in question is in fact responsible.

"This process takes time," he said. "Initially, a lack of witnesses and victims who could correctly identify the suspect, as well as a need for eyewitnesses who observed the crimes in progress, presented additional challenges and extended the time-frame necessary for Deputies to initiate an arrest."

Over 500 hours of casework was spent building the tire-slashing case against Nguyen, according to South.

Read Also: Tire Slasher Suspect Caught In Rancho Santa Margarita

Orange County Sheriff's Department Photo