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Following trial, two Providence men sentenced to life in state prison for 2018 murder

Following trial, two Providence men sentenced to life in state prison for 2018 murder

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that two Providence men have been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court to life in prison after being found guilty of the 2018 murder of 57-year-old David Page in a drive-by shooting in Providence.

 

On February 13, 2022, Superior Court Justice Kristen E. Rodgers sentenced Chandanoeuth Hay (age 33) and Jaythan Hang (24) each to consecutive life sentences at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI). Additionally, the Court deemed Chandanoeuth Hay a habitual criminal and sentenced him to a consecutive 10-year sentence at the ACI.

 

On October 6, 2022, a jury found the defendants guilty of murder, conspiracy, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, and carrying a pistol without a license. Chandanoeuth Hay was found guilty of possession of a firearm after being convicted of a crime of violence.

 

“This case, like far too many our Office prosecutes, involves the fatal intersection of gang disputes and the ready availability firearms. Mr. Page was the victim of this senseless gun violence, and it was only by good fortune that two other bystanders were not injured or worse,” said Attorney General Neronha. “I am grateful that justice has arrived for these defendants in the form of lengthy state prison sentences. I am also grateful to Mr. Page’s family for their continued patience during this pursuit of justice. The men and women of the Providence Police Department have my continued respect and gratitude for their outstanding work investigating this case and ensuring its successful prosecution.”

 

During the October trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that during the early morning hours of June 26, 2018, the defendants shot at three occupants in a vehicle on Lowell Avenue in Providence during a drive-by shooting, killing David Page.

 

Just after midnight, David Page drove to a home on Lowell Ave. to pick up two passengers. Once both passengers entered his car, the defendants pulled alongside, in a stolen black Audi sedan with tinted windows, and fired at least nine shots from a Smith & Wesson .22 LR pistol at the residence and the occupants in Mr. Page’s vehicle, before driving away. Investigators ultimately found the pistol which was used to kill Mr. Page with assistance from the Rhode Island State Crime Lab.

 

David Page was killed instantly, and the two other occupants were not struck by any bullets.

 

Investigators established that the defendants were affiliated with a local gang, known to law enforcement, and conspired to find rival gang members prior to killing Mr. Page.

 

“I commend the exhaustive investigative efforts of our detectives and the Attorney General’s office for bringing these dangerous criminals to justice and am pleased that today justice is served,” said Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez. “The reckless, violent behavior of these defendants will not be tolerated in our community, and I am thankful these criminals will be removed from our streets for decades to come.”

 

Assistant Attorneys General John Moreira and Jeffrey Morin of the Office of the Attorney General, and Detectives Michael Otrando, Stephen Sullivan, and Theodore Michael of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.