A documented member of a white supremacist gang is facing murder charges after his involvement in a deadly high-speed chase in Orange County that resulted in the tragic death of a visiting Vietnamese woman, and serious injuries to two others. Timothy Bradford Cole II, the 43-year-old defendant, with an extensive criminal history including six prior strikes, has been charged with multiple felony charges, reported by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
The incident in which Cole has been implicated began after he purportedly set fire to a residence in Fountain Valley over a dispute related to child custody. According to law enforcement, Cole returned to his parked vehicle near the arson site, upon which police attempted a stop leading to the fatal pursuit. Cole has been charged with one count each of murder, arson of an inhabited structure, evading an officer causing death, and evading an officer causing serious injury – alongside an enhancement for using an accelerant device.
During the chase last Monday, Cole is accused of hurtling through red lights at up to 90 mph, culminating in a collision with a BMW X3 at the intersection of Ellis Avenue and Magnolia Street. Hong Ngoc Nguyen, a 25-year-old visitor from Vietnam, was tragically killed in the crash. The driver of the BMW and another passenger sustained severe injuries, a broken arm, and significant fractures to the spine and pelvis, respectively.
"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,” DA Todd Spitzer reflected on the catastrophic outcome. The trial for Cole is set to commence on December 20, with Deputy District Attorney Devin Campbell prosecuting. If convicted, Cole could face a life sentence augmented by additional decades, reflecting the gravity of his alleged crimes.
