Aloha man held in murder of Bethany mother, two sons

Ricardo Serrano arrested after three-week investigation into triple homicide

The Beaverton Valley Times, Nov 29, 2006, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (8 Reader comments)

Ricardo Serrano, 31, of Aloha, will be arraigned this afternoon in the Nov. 3 slaying of a Bethany woman and her two young sons.

Submitted photo / Washington County Sheriff's Office

A 31-year-old Aloha man will be arraigned this afternoon in connection with the Nov. 3 slaying of a Bethany woman and her two young sons.

Detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ricardo Serrano Tuesday morning in his place of business. He will be arraigned at 3 p.m. in Washington County Circuit Court.

Serrano is being held without bail in Washington County Jail on three counts of aggravated murder. Detectives said he was responsible for shooting 37-year-old Melody Dang and her sons, Steven, 16, and Jimmy, 12.

The family was found shot to death at about 6 a.m. Nov. 3 in their home, 2902 N.W. Telshire Terrace, by Michael Nguyen, Melody’s boyfriend who also lived in the house.

They were the worst murders in Washington County in more than 15 years.

Washington County’s Major Crimes Team, led by detectives Mary Ann Budlong and Andrew Hays, spent the past three weeks investigating the shooting and tracking the suspect. The trail included a search for Melody Dang’s Toshiba notebook computer, which detectives believe was stolen during the murders.

Nearly two dozen detectives and computer forensics experts scoured other computers found in the home looking for evidence in the killings.

Agencies participating in the investigation through the Major Crimes Team include the sheriff’s office and police departments in Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Beaverton and Tigard. Portland Police Bureau also provided a Vietnamese-speaking officer.

Jimmy Dang was a student at Meadow Park Middle School. Steven Dang was a Westview High school student.

Friends of the boys left flowers and messages scrawled on notebook paper and cards outside the home that was roped with yellow crime scene tape.

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