Sacto 9-1-1

By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com

The daughter of slain correctional officer Steve Lo testified today that her father introduced her to his mistress and that the woman gave her gifts and told her that they would be "best friends forever."

Brenda Lo said she later learned that the woman who gave her the gifts and who identified herself as "Cynthia" was Chia Vue, the wife of former Sacramento sheriff's deputy Chu Vue, who is on trial for murder in Steve Lo's shooting death.

Brenda Lo, 16, testified in Sacramento Superior Court that Chia Vue gave her a $60 gift card for her middle school graduation as well as a watch.

"The watch was on her wrist," Brenda Lo testified. "She took it off and said, 'It's a gift. You can keep it.' "

The girl's testimony on behalf of the prosecution appeared to undercut a key contention of Chu Vue's defense. In his opening statement, defense attorney Donald Masuda told the jury that Lo and Chia Vue were about to break off their affair.

Masuda said the accused gunmen in the case -- Chu Vue's two younger brothers -- carried out the fatal attack on their own. The two were both wanted on a murder warrant out of Minnesota, and Masuda said they killed Lo because he found out about them through his relationship with Chia Vue and they thought he would turn them in.

On cross-examination, Masuda read from a police report where Brenda Lo was quoted as telling investigators that she heard her dad say in regards to Chia Vue, "That's not my girlfriend."

Brenda Lo, however, denied making that statement to police. She confirmed under questioning from Masuda that Chia Vue had told her in their brief relationship that they were "best friends forever."

Under questioning from Deputy District Attorney Eric Kindall, the girl said her father introduced her to his "so-called friend" at the graduation in June 2008.

"She asked me if she could take me out to lunch as a graduation gift," Brenda Lo testified, and also for "some girl talk."

Steve Lo at the time was still married to his second wife, Sia Vang. Brenda Lo is the daughter of Steve Lo's first wife.

Brenda Lo said Chia Vue gave her the gifts and also wrote down her phone number and gave it to her.

After her father was shot and killed, Brenda Lo testified that Chia Vue twice accompanied her on trips to the Stockton cemetery where Steve Lo is buried. The girl testified that Chia Vue "sounded very depressed" and on both occasions was apologizing.

"She was crying," Brenda Lo said. "She didn't talk much. She was just really crying."

Steve Lo, 39, was gunned down in the garage of his Tambor Way home in south Sacramento on Oct. 15, 2008.

Chu Vue, 45, is on trial for murder in the killing along with co-defendant and cousin Lang Vue, 27, who is accused of aiding and abetting the killing by procuring rental cars, motel rooms and then buying a sports utility vehicle for the purported gunmen in the case.

Authorities say the shooters were Chu Vue's younger brothers, Gary Vue, 29, and Chong Vue, 31. They are scheduled to be tried separately later this month.

At the time of Steve Lo's death, the brothers were wanted for murder in a 2001 gang-related drive-by shooting death in Minnesota. Both have since been convicted in that case.

Police and prosecutors say Chu Vue planned the fatal attack on Lo because the correctional officer launched into the affair with the former deputy's wife. Masuda told jurors that his client didn't have a motive to kill Lo because Chu Vue had since "moved on" from trying to keep his marriage intact.

Several of Chu Vue's coworkers at the sheriff's Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center also testified today that he told them about the problems he was having in his marriage and that he found out that his wife was having an affair.

Deputy Khu Xiong said that Vue at first appeared to be upset over his wife's affair, but that he became "acceptive" of it.

"He was like, 'Everything's cool. We've moved on. I don't want to go back to that life,' " Xiong testified.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.