Couple Held in Beating Death of Toddler

Eight months after a 2-year-old boy died of injuries from a beating, a Garden Grove couple who baby-sat for him was arrested Wednesday and booked on suspicion of first degree murder, authorities said.

Nha Dac Ho, 23, and Huong-Thuy Huynh, 29, were arrested for allegedly striking Timothy Tran of Anaheim several times on his head last March while watching him, Garden Grove Police Capt. Dave Abrecht said.

“The head trauma caused him to be nonfunctioning, nonresponsive,” Abrecht said. “He had brain damage from being struck, but that was only part of the problem. When the child is 2 years old, they can’t tell you what happened.”

Huynh, known as Jenny Ho, and Ho, known as Danny, were arrested soon after but released when the district attorney’s office declined to file charges because of a lack of evidence, Abrecht said.

After several more months of investigation, arrest warrants were issued Wednesday for both. They were taken into custody at their home in the 9600 block of Oasis Avenue.

Authorities said they now have enough evidence to file charges, but did not detail what the new evidence was.

On March 22, Timothy’s mother, Chau Le, had dropped the boy off with the couple, after giving them permission to take him on a trip to San Francisco.

But they never left, and the boy never made it to San Francisco.

On March 27, Ho took Timothy to the emergency room at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, complaining that the unconscious boy had been listless and tired, Abrecht said.

Doctors notified police because his injuries appeared to be consistent with child abuse, Abrecht said.

On March 29, Timothy died from his injuries.

Le, a waitress, had been leaving her son with the couple off and on for three months before his death.

Ho and Huynh are being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail each.