Neighbors mourn elderly couple struck dead in South Bay rampage
SAN JOSE -- People stopped by a makeshift memorial in San Jose Friday evening to remember an elderly Vietnamese couple who were killed Thursday when they were struck by a carjacked vehicle during a wide-ranging, deadly South Bay rampage.
Surveillance video first shows a car speeding through a Walgreens parking lot across from the victims' home in the area of South 16th and East Santa Clara streets. Seconds later, the suspect drives into another parking lot where the Phams and their contractor were standing.
Police say the suspect intentionally hit the victims. Mr. and Mrs. Pham died from their injuries.
"I don't know where he hit, it hurt my body -- my head, my shoulder..." said Minh Tran who was injured in the incident.
Tran said he was working on repainting the Phams' home when the suspect hit them with the stolen car. Tran said he noticed the car speed up.
"He go fast. After he stop, he go fast and he hit me first," Tran explained.
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Investigators collected evidence for hours Thursday. Two hats, a shirt and a shoe could be seen on the ground.
Family members say the Phams were in their mid 70s and lived in their home with their only son. They were fixtures on the block for about 20 years.
"They're a very quiet, gentle older Vietnamese couple and we often saw them in the front yard, especially lately as they were enjoying getting their house painted," said neighbor Sandra Lee Norris. "It was a big project for them. We often saw them in front of their house and to the side over here admiring the work."
By the time the suspect, Kevin Parkourana, arrived at 16th and Santa Clara Streets, he had already stabbed two people during two carjackings in different parking lots. He later hit a pedestrian with a car in one of the parking lots. Parkourana fatally stabbed another person at a Milpitas shopping center before he was arrested, according to police.
"Pretty horrible. We just feel so much for the families involved in all these incidents, the stabbings and the people that are in critical condition. We're tracking it very closely and our hearts are just broken because they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," said Lee Norris. "I didn't sleep last night, I just couldn't sleep."
Meanwhile, Tran was back on the job at the victims' home Friday, doing work on a fence.
"Feel sad, feel hurt in my body and my heart. Everything," he said.
