A 66-year-old convicted arsonist was charged Tuesday with attempted murder and arson stemming from a fire in a mobile home that injured two women, one of them critically.
Lam Hong Nguyen of Westminster, also known as Tony Nguyen, faces a sentence enhancement allegation of attempted premeditated murder, making his potential punishment a life sentence if he’s convicted at trial.
Nguyen is additionally charged with one felony count each of arson with great bodily injury, arson of an inhabited structure and aggravated arson with a prior conviction for arson.
Police were called to the 9700 block of Bolsa Avenue about 6:45 a.m. Saturday regarding a fire at a mobile home complex. Multiple residents were inside the targeted mobile home at the time of the blaze, police said.
Two female residents were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and burns, with one admitted in critical condition, police said.
Court records show that Nguyen pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2017, to a felony count of arson of property in a plea deal in which a felony count of arson of an inhabited dwelling was dismissed. In that case, Nguyen admitted setting fire to a doormat in Westminster on Aug. 11, 2017. He was sentenced initially to 120 days in jail, but due to probation violations ended up being sentenced to 16 months in prison in December, according to court records.
According to a probation violation report filed last year, Nguyen was arrested by Garden Grove police for methamphetamine use. At the time, he was homeless and was seeking mental health treatment for schizophrenia and a depressive disorder, a probation officer reported.