Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Suspect in California campus killing was co-worker

FULLERTON, Calif. — A suspect arrested in the stabbing death of a man at the California State University, Fullerton campus was a co-worker of the victim, police said Thursday.

Chuyen Vo, 51, was arrested Wednesday night at his home in Huntington Beach, officials announced at a news conference near the killing scene in a campus parking lot.

Lt. Jon Radus declined, however, to elaborate on the work relationship of the suspect, and it was unclear whether it was current or in the past. Police would not say what the motive was for the attack.

The victim, Steven Shek Keung Chan, 57, worked as the director of budget and finance and student services for university extended education but retired in 2017. He returned to the campus in January to work as a consultant.

University spokeswoman Ellen Treanor said the school had no reports of any problems between Chan and Vo.

Authorities have said Chan was found stabbed numerous times inside his silver Infiniti in a campus parking lot on Monday, and they believed it was a targeted attack.

The suspect was seen fleeing on foot and later leaving a nearby parking lot in a black sedan. The suspect may have sustained cuts to at least one hand during the attack, authorities said.

Authorities said they found a backpack containing items that could be used in a kidnapping, such as zip ties and wigs, under Chan's car, and believed it belonged to the attacker.

Chan, of Hacienda Heights, had an undergraduate degree in accounting and a law degree and previously worked as an auditor for the California State University system.

The nearly 40,000-student commuter school in the middle of its host city in Orange County has the largest enrollment in the 23-campus California State University system.  

It is well known in the sports world for producing nationally ranked baseball teams and major leaguers including Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Khris Davis of the Oakland Athletics.