Boy, 15, sentenced in death of teen in mall

By Matt Pordum

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 | 8:48 a.m.

A 15-year-old boy who prosecutors said struck the fatal blow that killed a 17-year-old boy last year in the Boulevard mall food court was sentenced to six to 20 years in prison Tuesday.

Kenny Vansouphet pleaded guilty on Jan. 18 to one count of voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon for the killing of Lee Masangkay.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said Vansouphet was the person who hit Masangkay over the head with a chair, "which we believed caused the death."

The prosecutor argued Vansouphet should spend at least eight years in prison before becoming eligible for parole, but said District Judge Michael Cherry decided to follow the Department of Parole and Probation's recommendation at sentencing.

DiGiacomo said that was OK, however, because "Judge Cherry's sentence is a recognition of the severity of the crime and the loss felt by the community."

DiGiacomo also noted that although Vansouphet was arrested for murder, his case was bound over to District Court on a charge of voluntary manslaughter.

Under Nevada law anyone over 8 years old charged with homicide or attempted homicide must be treated as an adult unless a judge rules otherwise.

Cherry will soon sentence another member of the alleged gang that killed Masangkay.

Sixteen-year-old Happy Oum has pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon and is scheduled for sentencing on March 24. Oum was 15 at the time of the killing, and Vansouphet was 14.

Masangkay was in the mall with his girlfriend several hours before the fight and exchanged words with several gang members, police said. He and the girl sat down to eat at the food court about 8 p.m. and the gang members spotted him.

Witnesses saw three or four young men attack Masangkay, kicking him, punching him and hitting him with black plastic and metal food court chairs, Stansbury said.