LOS ANGELES, CA – A documented white supremacist gang member has been charged with murder, arson, and multiple other felonies after a police chase in Fountain Valley led to a crash that killed a Vietnamese tourist and injured two others, officials announced Thursday.
The suspect, 38-year-old Timothy Bradford Cole II, faces a potential sentence of nearly 120 years in prison if convicted on all counts, according to the police.
Authorities said the events began on Dec. 2 with a custody dispute. Cole allegedly set fire to a bush outside the home of his sister’s fiancé in Fountain Valley. Prosecutors described the act as retaliation after Cole’s sister contacted child protective services, leading to Cole losing custody of his children.
A few hours later, officers spotted Cole returning to his truck near the same home. When they attempted to stop him, he fled, initiating a high-speed pursuit. The chase lasted just over a mile before tragedy struck.
At the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Magnolia Street, Cole allegedly ran a red light at nearly 90 mph and collided with a white BMW. The impact caused Cole’s truck to roll over, police said.
The crash killed 25-year-old Hong Ngoc Nguyen, a tourist visiting from Vietnam. Two other passengers in the BMW were injured, including the driver, who suffered fractures to her spine and pelvis.
“No one could have predicted that a series of events set in motion by a complete stranger would turn Miss Nguyen’s American vacation into an American nightmare,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
Cole was taken into custody at the scene and has since been charged with murder, arson, and evasion causing death, among other charges. His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 20.
Nguyen’s death highlights the devastating consequences of Cole’s actions, which authorities have described as fueled by personal grievances and reckless disregard for public safety.
This case underscores ongoing challenges in addressing violent behavior tied to extremist ideologies, with prosecutors seeking to hold Cole accountable for the destruction wrought by his actions.
