Case # 09HF0287
Date: July 27, 2018
MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF EX-GIRLFRIEND’S FAMILY MEMBERS IN IRVINE
*Defendant caused standoff with police for several hours
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole today for the special circumstances murder and attempted murder of members of his ex-girlfriend’s family.
| Defendant | Charges | Sentence |
| Alwyn Gibson, 33, Costa Mesa | Found guilty by a jury on Nov. 13, 2017, of the following felony counts:
Sentencing Enhancements
|
Consecutive:
|
Circumstances of the Case
- On the evening of Feb. 20, 2009, Gibson went to the Irvine home of his former girlfriend, who no longer lived in the home and was not present at the time.
- The ex-girlfriend’s family was home having dinner, including her father, 60-year-old De Ngoc Le, mother, 47-year-old Ly Le, and two brothers, 22-year-old Michael Le and 24-year-old David Le.
- The defendant entered the home carrying a firearm, hit De Le and knocked him to the floor, hit David Le over the head with the firearm, and placed a large citrus fruit over the barrel to muffle the sound of shots being fired.
- Gibson demanded money from the family and searched through Ly Le’s purse.
- David Le was able to escape and ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
- Irvine Police Department (IPD) Special Weapons and Tactics Team arrived at the scene.
- Gibson forced De Ngoc Le and Michael Le to lie on the floor in an upstairs bedroom and shot De Ngoc Le in the back of the head, murdering him.
- The defendant shot Michael Le in the back of the neck in an attempt to murder the victim. Michael Le was in serious condition in the hospital for several days but survived.
- The defendant then shot Ly Le one time in the arm
- Gibson engaged the Irvine officers in standoff for several hours before finally surrendering in the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2009.
IPD investigated this case.
Prosecutor: Senior Deputy District Attorney Eric Scarbrough, Homicide Unit