Man arrested in San Jose police standoff makes court appearance
Suspect Neang Nghounoi (L) was arrested November 12th after barricading inside a San Jose home. Suspect Kristina Hernandez (R) was arrested October 29th (Photo: SJPD)
SAN JOSE (BCN)— A 29-year-old man arrested after a standoff with police in East San Jose last week and escaping from Santa Clara County Jail last month appeared in court on Thursday.
Nghounoi David Neang, a San Jose resident, was arraigned in Santa Clara County Superior Court on charges in two residential burglaries with enhancements for allegedly committing the crimes while out on bail, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Ellis said.
Neang was charged in connection with the alleged burglary of a Milpitas home on Aug. 4 and a San Jose residence on Aug. 13, she said. He did not enter a plea on the burglary charges and was scheduled to return to court on Dec. 10.
Neang appeared in a wheelchair and wore a red jail uniform for his appearance before Superior Court Judge Shelyna Brown, who set his bail at $1 million.
If convicted on all pending charges he faces more than 10 years in prison, Ellis said.
Neang was already wanted by police at the time the alleged burglaries occurred, Ellis said. A bench warrant had been issued on July 30 after he failed to appear for a preliminary examination on two separate felony cases last year for which he pleaded not guilty.
He was charged in those cases with assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing someone in the arm in San Jose on Dec. 4, 2014 and attempted commercial burglary on Nov. 2, 2014, according to Ellis.
Following his arrest, Neang fled from bail bond agents while in handcuffs as he was being booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose on Oct. 7, police said.
Officers looked for him for four hours before calling off the search, according to police.
Neang was arrested again on Nov. 12 after a standoff with police at a home on Ashkam Place Court on the outstanding warrant, police said.
Multiple people fled the home and jumped over fences as soon as officers arrived, but police were able to detain Neang, according to police.
A second suspect in the Aug. 13 burglary, 23-year-old Kristina Hernandez, was arrested on Oct. 29, police said.
The female suspect was a lookout while a male suspect, later identified as Neang, entered the residence through a rear sliding glass door, according to police.
Hernandez was already arraigned in the burglary and is set for a plea hearing on Monday, Ellis said.