He was her employee, then her killer. Now construction worker faces life in prison

LOS ANGELES — The 2019 murder of 76-year-old Chyong Jen Tsai was as gruesome as it was unexpected; the Arcadia grandmother was found dead in her own backyard after she was viciously attacked with a hammer, a jab saw and a box cutter, authorities said.

Now, five years later, Tsai's family has received a measure of justice.

On Thursday, Heber Enoc Diaz, 33, of Pasadena was found guilty of capital murder, according to the L.A. County district attorney's office. He could receive life in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 16, the prosecutor's office said.

Diaz was among a crew of construction workers who were completing renovations on Tsai's home in March 2019 when he broke into her property and committed an initial burglary, prosecutors said.

Juan Benitez, another construction worker Tsai had hired, told ABC7 that the burglary rattled Tsai and that she then asked police for more patrols in the neighborhood. Benitez described her as a very nice lady who always offered coffee, fruit and cake to the workers.

That April 9, when Diaz was no longer working at the property, he returned to commit a second burglary, according to prosecutors, who say he killed Tsai when she showed up while he was stealing items from her garage.

He struck her with a hammer, stabbed her multiple times and cut her neck twice before fleeing in her Lexus RX300 with $4,500 in cash, her purse, a cellphone, credit cards, identification cards, a violin and other items, according to a Pasadena Star News report on the case.

On Nov. 7, Diaz was found guilty on all charges — one count of murder with special circumstances; two felony counts of second-degree burglary; and one felony count each of first-degree residential burglary, second-degree robbery and elder abuse.

The jury found true the special circumstance allegation that the murder was committed during a robbery or attempted robbery, as well as allegations of causing great bodily injury to a victim over age 70 and using deadly and dangerous weapons.

"Our sincere condolences go out to Ms. Tsai's family, who have endured unimaginable loss," said L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón. "We understand that nothing can truly fill the void left by her absence, but we hope that the guilty verdicts brings a measure of justice and peace."