Former UC Irvine student threw mom off campus balcony before plunging to his death: police

A former student and his ailing mother were identified as the two victims of a murder-suicide that was discovered on the campus of the University of California, Irvine on Tuesday. Investigators said Wednesday that at 4 p.m., Andrew Nguyen Doan, 36, picked up his 77-year-old mother Thao Nguyen and "threw her" from a multi-story campus building before jumping to his own death. Police claimed they had "many prior interactions" with the former UC Irvine student even though Doan's motivation is still unknown. When he was a student at the school in 2019, the Irvine Police Department last dealt with him in relation to a "mental health concern." From September 2017 until June 2019, Doan studied biological sciences, according to UCI spokesman Tom Vasich, who talked to the Los Angeles Times. Doan never graduated and no longer had an affiliation with the university. An Orange County district attorney's office representative told the LA Times that Doan sexually assaulted his roommate before being committed to a mental facility at some point in 2019. After his mother provided his $100,000 bond, he was freed from detention after being detained. According to Orange County Superior Court records, after entering a guilty plea to the charges, Doan was given a sentence of 156 days in jail and three years of probation, which was completed in July of this year. [caption id="attachment_72673" align="aligncenter" width="744"] Andrew Nguyen Doan threw his mother Thao Nguyen from a campus building landing for jumping himself. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag[/caption] In Irvine, Doan and Nguyen shared a residence. Doan was said to as a "troubled young man," according to their longtime neighbor Michael Bertin, who spoke with the Press-Telegram. Doan had devils, according to Bertin. It's an awful thing. “(Doan) had demons,” Bertin said. “It’s a horrible thing.” Bertin said Nguyen was known as a kind but withdrawn woman who was often noticed gardening in her front lawn. Bertin said he had not noticed Doan in some time, but didn’t recall ever seeing the mother and son duo argue. According to Vasich, suicide prevention phone numbers and words of warning are posted in the stairwells and along the landings of the buildings were Doan and Nguyen’s bodies were found.