KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — The driver involved in the felonious assault of a woman at a Walmart parking lot earlier this week has officially been charged.
Xuan Thanh Vo, 37, was charged with open murder.
“Two days ago, we had an event out at the Walmart on 9th Street in Oshtemo Township,” said Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller during a news conference at headquarters. “At 12:11 in the afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call — several, actually, 911 calls — of a suspect in the parking lot having just run over a pedestrian.”
Deputies arrived immediately, he said, and apprehended the driver.
Documents obtained from 8th District Court state Vo confessed to making the conscious decision to kill someone using his car on the day of Monday, Aug. 9. Vo reportedly admitted he awoke feeling lonely and upset, saying he missed his ex-girlfriend, leading to the decision to run someone over in his vehicle.
Vo said he had no help and that no one suggested the action, further asserting he was not influenced by voices in his mind, court documents say.
The suspect reportedly drove to separate Meijer stores in Battle Creek and Oshtemo Township to hit and kill someone but decided against it both times until arriving at the Walmart in Oshtemo Township.
There, Vo admitted he waited for traffic to clear so he could accelerate quickly enough to kill someone without fail, documents explain. We're told the victim evaded his initial attempt to run her over, at which Vo reportedly waited for her to leave cover before accelerating again, this time killing her.
Sheriff Fuller identified the victim as 65-year-old Sandra Villarreal of Kalamazoo, who later died from her injuries. He stated that the two did not know each other but the investigation is ongoing.
“Our condolences go out to that family and friends, and anybody that had witnessed that event,” Sheriff Fuller said. “There are many witnesses. This is a tragic event and it’s a scary thing to think there’s a person in our community that would take an opportunity like this and cause such destruction.”
***Sheriff's Office asks anyone with tips and information to please call 269-383-8723***
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