State Of Washington v. Soeun Sun

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided August 26, 2015·No. 45058-5·Unpublished

Opinion

ILEO

COURT OF APPEALS

DIVISION II .

2015 AUG 26 PM 12: 53 STATE OF WASHINGTON

BY

E UTY

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DIVISION II

STATE OF WASHINGTON, No. 45058 -5 -II

Respondent,

v.

SOEUN SUN,

I1

JOHANSON, C. J. — A jury found Soeun Sun guilty of first degree burglary, first degree conspiracy to commit first degree burglary, and several related firearm and trafficking offenses with accompanying firearm enhancements. Soeun Sun appeals his convictions, arguing that ( 1) the State unlawfully seized evidence, (2) there was insufficient evidence that Soeun Sun was armed with a firearm, ( 3) the trial court committed several instructional errors, ( 4) counsel was

ineffective, and ( 5) the trial court violated Soeun Sun' s speedy trial right. He also appeals his

sentence, arguing that ( 6) imposition of the Persistent Offender Accountability Act of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981, ch. 9. 94A RCW, violated Soeun Sun' s right to due process and right to equal protection. We reject his arguments that ( 1) insufficient evidence supports his

convictions, ( 2) the trial court improperly instructed the jury, and ( 3) his speedy trial right was violated. In addition, we decline to reach his ineffective assistance of counsel claim and the several

sentencing issues he raises. However, we hold that Soeun Sun was unlawfully seized and that the fruits of the unlawful seizure must be suppressed. Accordingly we vacate the trial court' s order denying Soeun Sun' s motion to suppress, reverse his convictions, and remand for further

proceedings consistent with this opinion.

FACTS

I. BACKGROUND

On December 17, 2011, Fife Police Officer Thomas Vradenburg investigated a burglary at Sportco, a Fife sporting goods store. An inventory revealed that a total of 42 guns had been stolen. Detective Jeff Nolta reviewed surveillance videos captured by Sportco' s security system showing a white vehicle driving back and forth and stopping near the Sportco several times between 3: 00 AM and 3: 30 AM. Sportco surveillance videos showed two people entering the store and running toward the gun display cases.

Coincidentally, Fife Police Officer Ryan Micenko ran the license plate information of the suspicious white vehicle approximately 20 minutes before the Sportco alarms triggered. The

vehicle, a white Honda, was registered to Phalay Soeung at a Tacoma address on Yakima Avenue.

Later, Detective Nolta received information that an individual named David Bunta had

been involved in the Sportco burglary. Fife police surveilled Bunta' s home, workplace, and car. On December 27, Fife police officers followed Bunta to the same Yakima Avenue address where

the white Honda was registered. Outside the Yakima Avenue home, police observed the white

Honda that was. seen near Sportco on the night of the crime.

The following day, police arrested Bunta and searched his car and person incident to that arrest. Police found two black ski masks, a 9 mm pistol, a global positioning system unit, two rolls

2'

of duct tape, and four pairs of gloves. Bunta confessed to participating in the Sportco burglary and admitted that others were involved, but he refused to identify his cohorts.

Later that day, 11 days after the burglary took place, police surveilled the white Honda at the Yakima Avenue address. That evening, police observed a man approach the white Honda carrying a small object that appeared to be wrapped in a blanket. According to the officers, the man, later identified as Soeun Sun, looked around suspiciously before opening the trunk and placing the unknown item inside. Officers then followed Soeun Sun as he drove from the residence in the white -Honda: Soeun Sun arrived at a nearby gas station, parked, and began to pump gas. Officers approached Soeun Sun with drawn guns and handcuffed him.

Detectives frisked Soeun Sun for weapons and asked him to identify himself. Soeun Sun initially gave false names and dates of birth. Officers continued to ask questions, suspecting that Soeun Sun was not telling the truth because the false information he provided was not found in the computer system. Police established Soeun Sun' s true identity when one ofthe officers recognized him from previous encounters. Police determined that Soeun Sun had an outstanding Department of Corrections warrant and arrested him.

After officers read Miranda' rights, Soeun Sun admitted that he lived at the Yakima

Avenue address. Police obtained and executed a search warrant for the white Honda where they found a pistol wrapped in a towel inside a backpack in the vehicle' s trunk. A former Sportco

employee identified the gun found in Soeun Sun' s vehicle as one stolen during the burglary.

1 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 16 L. Ed. 2d 694 ( 1966).

Officers also found ammunition and gloves in the car along with various documents featuring Soeun Sun' s. name. And a search of Soeun Sun' s cell phone revealed several messages relating to potential firearms transactions. A search of the Yakima Avenue address revealed

another 9 mm pistol. This pistol was also one of the guns stolen in the Sportco burglary.

II. PROCEDURE

By amended information, the State charged Soeun Sun with one count of first degree unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of theft of a firearm, one count of first degree burglary,

one count of conspiracy to commit first degree burglary, one count of first degree trafficking in

2

stolen property, and one count of conspiracy to commit first degree trafficking in stolen property.

Before trial, the trial court denied Soeun Sun' s motion to suppress all evidence *obtained as a result

of what he deemed an unlawful Terry stop.

During trial, the State presented the testimony of several witnesses who were related to Soeun Sun and who were connected to the alleged burglary and subsequent distribution of the stolen firearms. The State also called T.J. Wells, a former gun salesman at Sportco. Wells recalled

seeing three suspicious individuals wearing hoods and dark clothing on the day before the burglary. Wells remembered seeing the suspicious men examining the guns in the display case from which they were later stolen. According to Wells, one of the men had a visible tattoo of writing or scripture on his neck. Soeun Sun has such a tattoo. Wells also testified that all of the guns were

operable firearms. Soeun Sun did not testify.

2 See RCW 9. 41. 040( 1)( a); RCW 9A. 56. 300( 1); RCW 9A.52. 020( 1)( a); RCW 9A.28. 040; RCW 9A.82. 050( 1).

3 Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S. Ct. 1868, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889 ( 1968).

M

The jury found Soeun Sun guilty of all counts and answered "yes" to the four special verdict forms finding that Soeun Sun or an accomplice was armed with a firearm during the commission of those offenses.4 The trial court sentenced Soeun Sun to life in prison without the possibility of parole as a persistent offender on the burglary, conspiracy, and trafficking counts. Soeun Sun

appeals.

ANALYSIS

I. UNLAWFUL SEIZURE

Soeun Sun contends that the evidence obtained as a result of his seizure and subsequent

arrest should have been suppressed because police did not have reasonable suspicion to conclude

that Soeun Sun was involved in any criminal activity. We agree. We hold that the trial court erred as a matter of law by denying Soeun Sun' s motion to suppress because the officers lacked a reasonable, particularized suspicion that Soeun Sun was involved in criminal activity.

A. LEGAL PRINCIPLES

We review conclusions of law in an order pertaining to suppression of evidence de novo.5 State v. Arreola, 176 Wn.2d 284, 291, 290 P. 3d 983 ( 2012). Warrantless disturbances of private

affairs are subject to a high degree of scrutiny. Our Supreme Court has explained that Washington

4 The jury determined that Soeun Sun was anned with a firearm at the time he committed the first degree burglary, conspiracy to commit first degree burglary, first degree tracking in stolen property, and conspiracy to commit first degree trafficking in stolen property.

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