Danika Bascos was a beloved 20-year-old Filipino American living in Milpitas, California. An only child, she was born in Fremont in 1995 and grew up surrounded by a close-knit family.

She loved music and dance, taking ballet and piano lessons as a child. After graduating from Milpitas High School in 2013, she enrolled at Ohlone College, pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse.

To help her parents, she worked part-time at Forever 21. Family described her as shy, sweet, affectionate, and kind – still calling herself the “baby” of the family.

She was well-liked and had many friends. Every December, her family traveled back to the Philippines for the holidays, a tradition Danika cherished.

She was full of dreams and plans for the future. No one could imagine that her life would be cut tragically short.

On October 5, 2015, around 3:59 PM, Milpitas police received a call about an unresponsive female found inside a home on Manzano Street.

Police and paramedics arrived quickly but pronounced the young woman de@d at the scene. The victim was Danika Bascos.

According to reports, Danika’s father, Daniel, had just returned home from work shortly after 3:00 PM. He called out for Danika but got no reply.

He went upstairs to her bedroom to check on her. Finding the door closed, he called her name again, but still received no answer.

He opened the door and saw Danika lying on her bed. When he gently touched her, she didn’t move. It was then he noticed the blood and multiple stab wounds.

Devastated, Daniel rushed downstairs to alert his visiting sibling, instructing them to call 911 immediately.

Police launched an investigation. A neighbor’s CCTV camera provided the first crucial clue.

Footage, not released publicly, showed a male approaching the Bascos home shortly before the estimated time of the incident. No one else was seen entering or leaving.

Police theorized this man was responsible. After speaking with Danika’s friends and family, they identified the man in the video as her ex-boyfriend, 26-year-old Kevin Van Nguyen.

The investigation uncovered a disturbing history. Just weeks earlier, on September 13, 2015, Danika had reported Kevin to the police.

According to the report, Kevin had approached Danika, forcibly grabbed her, stole her wallet, keys, and cellphone. He threatened her life and demanded she break up with her current boyfriend, John Sosa.

When John arrived at the scene, Kevin punched him before fleeing as bystanders mentioned calling the police.

Officers tried calling Kevin, but he answered pretending to be someone else. He later left Danika’s stolen items at the police station’s lost and found.

On October 6, 2015, police went to Kevin Nguyen’s home. He initially hid in his bedroom closet. After an hour-long standoff, he surrendered.

Inside his room, officers found critical evidence: a sweatshirt with apparent bloodstains, two knives, a pair of gloves, and Danika’s cellphone.

At the police station, Kevin confessed to ending Danika’s life. He provided a chilling account of his actions.

He admitted that after the assault on September 13th, he went to a supermarket and purchased two knives and a Halloween mask. He then bought gloves at another store.

On October 5th, he decided to carry out his plan. He told police he waited across the street from Danika’s house, ensuring her parents had left.

He then knocked on the door and convinced Danika to let him in. They went upstairs to her bedroom.

Inside, he again demanded she break up with John Sosa. When Danika refused, Kevin pulled out one of the knives he had brought.

He proceeded to attack the defenseless young woman multiple times. After ensuring she was no longer alive, he took her cellphone and left, taking a bus home.

Once home, he showered, changed clothes, and hid the evidence, including the phone, in his room.

When asked why he did it, Kevin gave conflicting reasons. He claimed he heard “demonic voices” telling him to harm his ex-girlfriend.

He also expressed anger, stating Danika had supposedly lied to him and cheated on him.

Based on his confession and the evidence, Kevin Nguyen was charged with murder with a deadly weapon, with special circumstances of intentionally lying in wait.

He was also charged with battery against Danika for the September assault, and battery against John Sosa for punching him. He was held without bail.

Danika’s parents were devastated, struggling to accept their daughter was taken from them in the perceived safety of her own home. Friends, relatives, and co-workers expressed shock and grief.

A GoFundMe page was set up by Danika’s cousin to help with funeral expenses. Messages poured in on memorial websites, remembering her kindness and gentle spirit. Her boyfriend John posted a photo, calling her the “love of his life.”

At his initial arraignment, Kevin did not enter a plea. On March 8, 2017, he pleaded not guilty to all charges.

However, the prosecution presented compelling evidence of premeditation, including Kevin’s own phone search history. He had searched for information on “how to hide a body” and “how long before a body starts to smell.”

On July 27, 2017, after evaluation by two psychologists, Kevin was declared mentally fit to stand trial, countering his lawyer’s claims of insanity.

While the final verdict was not detailed in the source text, under California law, a conviction for first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait carries a potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.