By Tom Alex and Jeff Eckhoff
The Des Moines Register
DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines man has been charged with first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of two women outside a north-side home that was the scene of a dramatic hostage incident this morning.
Three children were rescued from a home at 3616 Columbia Street after a two-hour standoff that ended when police used stun grenades to get inside and apprehend Nath Inthaboun, 31.
The victims were the man’s common-law wife, who was apparently gunned down in the street, and an eye-witness who was shot as she tried to drive away.
Bounpanh Xayavongchanh, 32, was found dead in the street; Amalia Vasquez, 60, 3644 Columbia. St., died not far away in her car, police said.
Police had thought tInthaboun shot himself as police stormed the home, but Sgt. Vince Valdez said later that he was unsure what caused the man’s injuries.
Police initially reported that Inthaboun had died en route to Broadlawns Medical Center from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. But Valdez confirmed later that he was treated and released then taken in for questioning.
Hospital officials, meanwhile, confirmed Inthaboun was brought to the hospital by police at 8:45 a.m. and released an hour later.
“There were no obvious injuries to the patient,” hospital spokesperson Mikki Stier said.
Co-workers at the Iowa Heart Center said Xayavongchanh, whom they knew as “Bunni,” was respected and admired.
“She was very, very well liked here,” said Tisha Murphy, Xayavongchanh’s supervisor at the center.
Amy Bentz, a spokeswoman for the heart center, said Xayavongchanh had been a nuclear testing nurse there since 2006.
Neighbors said she lived on Columbia Street with Inthaboun and their three small children.
Brenda Navin and her husband have lived across the street for about four years.
They were a young couple with three small children, Navin said. Navin’s husband would clear the family’s driveway during the winter, and Xayavongchanh would bring the Navin’s gift baskets filled with fruit in return.
“They just seemed like your normal, you know, young people,” Navin said. “We enjoyed them as neighbors, they were real nice people.”
Events began to unfold shortly before 6 a.m. with a 911 call about an altercation that involved a man with a gun. Police information on the content of the call was sketchy.
Officers evacuated a handful of neighbors and surrounded the house, then began negotiations via telephone with the man inside.
“There were snipers in the alley; my fiance and I kept peeking outside until they pounded on the door and asked to come in,” neighbor Kelly Gordon said.
Gordon, who said she not know residents of the house, described how one of the officers aimed a rifle out her kitchen window; the other took up a position with binoculars.
“They said we might her some explosions,” she said. “Right after that, we heard them.”
Tactical officers moved in about 8:15 a.m. Officers emerged seconds later with three children, all unhurt, and the suspect.
The three children were whisked to a waiting ambulance. A separate ambulance then left the scene with the suspect, who was apparently taken from the second floor of the home.
Police have not determined what sparked the gunfire, or the relationship between the victims and suspect.
“People are crazy. To use children as bargaining chips isn’t right,” neighbor Cliff Freeman, 46, said. Freeman said he did not know the people involved.
Laura Ridout, who lives at 3618 Columbia St., said she was surprised that the typically quiet family next door was involved this morning’s drama.
The family has lived there for several years, she sad.
“I’ve always had decent conversations with them when we talked. It’s a young couple with three small kids. They kind of kept to themselves,” she said.
Copyright 2008 The Des Moines Register