Details are beginning to emerge about the suspect in the Dane Williams murder case.
Williams' lifeless body was found rolled up in a carpet in a City Heights alley in 2008. The Orange County man was visiting San Diego for the Action Sports Retailers convention at the time of his death.
On Tuesday, police said they had arrested Philong Huynh last Thursday in connection with the case.
"His home is located about a block away from where Mr. Williams was found," Deputy District attorney Gretchen Means said.
Prosecutors said they have searched Huynh's house as part of the investigation.
"There were also several pharmaceuticals that were found, including a benzodiazepine prescription in his name that was found in January of 2008, the same month that Mr. Williams was found dead," Means said.
"Benzodiazepines are a type of medication known as tranquilizers," according to Web MD. "Familiar names include Valium and Xanax."
Huynh was at the center of another kidnapping and sex assault case years ago, according to court documents from another case. Court records show Huynh was arrested in 2003 and charged with kidnapping and sexual assault for an incident in Arizona. The case was dismissed before he could be extradited from San Diego, however.
While that case in 2003 was dismissed, a representative the for Maricopa County district attorney's office in Arizona confirmed Huynh did spend time in jail for another incident involving false imprisonment.
One of Huynh's neighbors said he was very familiar with the Williams case.
"I'm kind of just reeling from this whole thing," the man said.
The neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said he did not believe it when he heard his neighbor was charged with murder.
"There was no way I would ever feel scared or intimidated of the dude," the man said. "He was really small and quiet, and just mellow, and it doesn't seem to fit for me."
The neighbor said he followed the Williams case closely, even helping in the search after Williams went missing.
"We blanketed the Gaslamp with fliers," the man said.
Although the man said he spoke to Huynh on several occasions, he said the topic of the body found in their neighborhood never came up.
