Sep 6, 2008

Double slaying suspect appears in court

Wanted siblings in Mountain View killings still at large

By Banks Albach / Daily News Staff Writer

The alleged getaway driver in the slayings of a Mountain View brother and sister appeared Friday in Santa Clara County Superior Court but will not enter a plea until Sept. 29, along with four of her suspected accomplices.

Kim Thien Pham, 19, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit the murder of Omar Aquino, 24, and Maria Teresa Sanchez-Aquino, 27. Pham was arrested last week at Mineta San Jose International Airport as she attempted to flee the state, police said.

An eighth suspect, Eric Williams, 22, was arrested and arraigned this week on two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. He is scheduled to appear again in court Sept. 10 to enter a plea.

Authorities believe the eight alleged accomplices conspired to rob and possibly murder Aquino and Sanchez-Aquino in the early morning hours of June 28 on the 1900 block of Plymouth Street. Including Williams, police have arrested six suspects so far.

The hunt is still on for Kenneth Thomas, 20, who is wanted on the same counts as Williams, and his sister Faith Thomas, 17, who is wanted on the conspiracy count. Both are considered armed and dangerous. Their younger sister Fame Ashley Thomas, 15, is in custody.

Mountain View police are searching for the wanted siblings, but haven't picked up their trail yet, spokeswoman Liz Wylie said this week.

According to police, the suspects used text messages to lure Aquino to the movies with Fame and to initiate the robbery once the two arrived at his home later.

The suspects allegedly bound the siblings, ransacked their home, and stole an Apple iPhone and other electronics after shooting them to death. Police who responded to reports of shots fired arrived to find the siblings slain and Sanchez-Aquino's 8-year-old son sleeping in an adjacent room. He has been living with family members since the shooting.

Also in police custody are 18-year-old Nicory Marquis Spann, the suspected triggerman; Michael David Adams, 20; and Victoria Frances Thompson, 20. The men are facing two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy each, while Thompson faces just the conspiracy charge.

Deputy District Attorney James Gibbons-Shapiro said his office wants to eventually get all the suspects on the same timeline and into the same courtroom. He said he's confident that Mountain View detectives will soon reel in the wanted suspects.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Kenneth Thomas is urged to call the Mountain View Police Department at 650-903-6344. Tipsters may remain anonymous.



E-mail Banks Albach at balbach@dailynewsgroup.com.