An Enumclaw man is charged with first-degree murder after being accused of duct-taping a man’s face — causing him to asphyxiate and die — before ransacking the man’s home.
On June 5, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Huy Huu Nguyen, 56, whose last known address was in Enumclaw, with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and first-degree trafficking in stolen property in connection with the death of Axel Enrique Chirinos-Banegas, 23.
According to court documents, around 10 a.m. March 3, Nguyen and another unidentified man allegedly broke into Chirinos-Banegas’ home in the 1100 block of Edmonds Ave. NE. in Renton, bound him and covered his mouth and one nostril with duct tape, resulting in his death, and then burglarized his home.
According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, Chirinos-Banegas’ cause of death was due to asphyxia, from combined effects of restrained prone positioning and smothering, and multiple blunt force injuries. His manner of death was a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Nguyen remains in the King County Correctional Facility, held on $2 million bail. Nguyen’s next court hearing is his arraignment on June 18, at which an initial plea will be entered.
Details of the incident
According to documents, on March 5, Chirinos-Banegas’ cousin had visited Chirinos-Banegas’ residence, stating that he had been unable to get in contact with him in the days preceding the visit. Chirinos-Banegas’ cousin, identified as J.A., said that he entered the home and immediately discovered his cousin’s body on the kitchen floor.
J.A. said that he fled and called 911, reporting that Chirinos-Banegas’ hands and feet were tied and had turned purple. Documents stated that when medical aid and officers arrived, they found the victim face down.
According to documents, Chirinos-Banegas had a large amount of orange duct tape covering his mouth and one nostril, and his wrists and ankles were tightly bound, rendering him immobile. Documents stated that Chirinos-Banegas was bound with what appeared to be a black ratchet or tow strap.
Nguyen and the unidentified man had entered Chirinos-Banegas’ home, and then forcibly restrained him with four-point restraints and covered his mouth and one nostril with duct tape, according to documents. Nguyen and the unidentified man then stole items from the home and left Chirinos-Banegas restrained, causing his death.
Upon investigating the home, officers found that most, if not all, cabinets, drawers or doors within the apartment were ajar or wide open as though the home had been searched. Furniture showed evidence of having been moved, and the two bedrooms in the residence showed evidence of having been significantly ransacked and rummaged through, documents stated.
According to documents, after searching the residence for latent fingerprints, they found two fingerprints on a box. Documents stated that on April 10, it was discovered that the prints matched Nguyen’s.
According to documents, further evidence linked Nguyen to the crime when a silver Nissan was seen on camera outside Chirinos-Banegas’ residence, from which two men stepped out carrying what appeared to be empty bags around 10 a.m. Those two men, when they were seen on camera returning to the vehicle about 30 minutes later, had bags that appeared full and heavy.
Documents stated that phone records captured that Nissan leaving a residence near Hazen High School before the crime, and cellphone towers showed that Nguyen’s cellphone was traveling with the Nissan to Chirinos-Banegas’ residence.
Further evidence linked Nguyen to the crime when law enforcement obtained pawn shop records associated with Nguyen. Documents stated that Nguyen had made four separate transactions at Elite Pawn, located at 29130 Pacific Hwy. S. Federal Way.
Chirinos-Banegas’ residence was shared with his uncle, who reported various expensive watches as missing. Documents stated that Nguyen was found to have sold three watches to the pawn shop, which Chirinos-Banegas’ uncle identified as matching his missing watches.
The other suspect in this case is unidentified, according to documents.
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