Authorities searching for man who was assaulted, kidnapped in Midway City

MIDWAY CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- The Orange County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help tracking down a man they believe was assaulted and kidnapped in Midway City last week.

Deputies are searching for 61-year-old Tony Lam, who was last seen March 15 near the 14000 block of Hunter Lane. He is 5-foot-7, weighs 145 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a dark-colored shirt and shoes, and blue jeans.

Convicted murderer Nhan Chinh Nguyen, 49, and Phi Hung Nguyen, 53, were charged this week with kidnapping for ransom or extortion. Both are scheduled to be arraigned April 10 in the West Justice Center in Westminster.

Nhan Nguyen was convicted of murder in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 23, 2000, according to the complaint.

Investigators say Lam was not found at the time of the arrests and the suspects have not revealed where he may be.

Authorities say a woman who lives in the area of Hunter Lane and Madison Avenue reported a possible kidnapping last Friday. Deputies suspect the victim was assaulted and kidnapped in the driveway of his home.

Lam had spent time at LV Restaurant and Lounge in Westminster and the 171 Sky Restaurant in Garden Grove the evening of March 14 prior to him arriving to the area of the kidnapping early last Friday, deputies said. It's unclear if Lam was followed from those restaurants.

When Lam returned to his home, he was confronted by a masked man in the driveway. He was assaulted and driven away from the area in a vehicle that was not his, authorities said.

"At this point we do not believe the public is at risk," sheriff's Sgt. Matthew Parrish said. "We do believe it was a targeted kidnapping."

Lam was renting a room for about a month at the home on Hunter Lane, another tenant told Eyewitness News. Lam's roommate said the kidnapping was captured on surveillance video.

The Sheriff's Department asks anyone with information related to the victim or his kidnapping to contact sheriff's dispatch at 714-647-7000. Anonymous information may be provided through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

City News Service contributed to this report.