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Pomona man gets 25 years to life after changing plea, admitting to killing partygoer in Long Beach

A Pomona man was sentenced Feb. 16 to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting another man after a party in 2014, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Thearath Sam, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the killing of Sambo Chhoy, 33, as well as to the special allegation that he used a gun to commit the crime. 

On the evening of Jan. 20, 2014, Sam was at a party in Long Beach when he got into a confrontation with Chhoy, prosecutors said. 

The two men were told to leave the party and exited into a back alley, prosecutors added. Sam then followed Chhoy for two blocks and shot him. 

Chhoy was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:13 p.m., according to coroner’s records.

About a month later, Sam was arrested in connection with the killing. 

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @jeromercampbell and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.

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