Woman Accused in Rock, Shoe Beating to Be Arraigned

A 50-year-old woman accused of using a rock and a shoe to beat a woman who she owed $100,000 to was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on attempted murder charges.

Minh Tam Thi Phan allegedly made arrangements April 22 to meet with the woman to pay back the money she owed her, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Phan drove the woman to an Orange County restaurant, where she said the money was, prosecutors alleged. Phan, who lives in San Diego County, went into the restaurant and returned to the car to drive back home, prosecutors said. On the way back, Phan convinced the woman to pull over into a neighborhood and park in front of a house in Fountain Valley, where Phan is accused of getting into the back seat with the woman, locking the doors and using a rock she allegedly slammed over the woman's head repeatedly, according to prosecutors. The victim managed to get out of the car and run away, with Phan in tow hitting her with a shoe, prosecutors allege.

The victim lost a tooth in the beating, prosecutors said. Witnesses called Fountain Valley police, who arrested Phan after she locked herself in the car and hit herself in the head with the rock and pretended to pass out, prosecutors allege. The officers were able to get in the car when they found the keys on the ground near it. Phan posted bail after being booked on assault with a deadly weapon, but was arrested today on a warrant for attempted murder charges, prosecutors said.

-- City News Service