Hanoi massage parlor owner in vegetative state as customer throws brick over payment dispute

A dispute over a massage parlor bill in Hanoi escalated into a brutal confrontation, leaving the 62-year-old owner with severe brain injuries and in a vegetative state after a customer allegedly struck him in the head with a brick. The Hanoi People’s Court opened a trial on Saturday for six individuals involved in the August 2025 incident. Nguyen Tien Quang, 38, Bui Tien Dat, 28, and Nguyen The Dan, 17, stand accused of "murder" and "disturbing public order." Ngo Pham Hai Long, 21, Khuat Xuan Trong, 33, and Do Van Manh, 23, were charged with disturbing public order. According to case files, the altercation began in the early hours of Aug. 29, 2025, when Quang, Dat, and Dan visited a massage parlor in Gia Lam Commune. Quang requested a massage but later attempted to leave without paying, claiming he only took a shower and never received the service. When the female parlor owner demanded payment, the disagreement quickly turned violent. Quang allegedly kicked over the shop’s signboard and threw a chair at the glass door. As the owner chased him with a metal rod, Quang reportedly wrestled the weapon away, struck her in the head, and hurled bricks at the storefront before fleeing on a motorbike with Dat and Dan. Shortly after, the owner's 62-year-old husband, Tan, arrived at the scene. Learning of the attack, he and another man pursued the fleeing trio. The two groups clashed at the Ngo Xuan Quang–Co Bi intersection, where prosecutors allege Quang threw a brick that struck Tan in the head, knocking him unconscious. Quang’s group retreated to a nearby restaurant and recruited Long, Manh, and Trong. Armed with homemade knives, iron pipes, and beer bottles, the group drove back to the intersection. Investigators noted the group drove in a dangerous zigzag pattern on public roads, with Quang dragging a knife blade along the asphalt to create sparks and loud noises. Upon finding Tan still lying unconscious, Long and Manh allegedly threw beer bottles into the street while Dat threatened bystanders with an iron pipe. The group finally fled after realizing the victim was bleeding heavily and seriously injured. Tan sustained a severe traumatic brain injury resulting in 99% bodily damage. He remains in a vegetative state. Quang, Dan, Long, Trong, and Manh eventually surrendered to the police. Dat remains at large and is wanted by authorities. Investigators also reviewed the actions of Tan’s wife but concluded her conduct did not meet the threshold for criminal prosecution. Following the initial hearing, the judicial panel returned the case file for further investigation to clarify the compensation claims submitted by the victim’s family.