Second man in custody in fatal St. Paul bar shooting

A 22-year-old Minneapolis man wanted in the murder of a St. Paul bar owner was arrested Wednesday, according to police.

Cheng Vang was in custody Wednesday afternoon, said Howie Padilla, a spokesman with the St. Paul police.

Vang and his brother-in-law Yia Her, 26, of Oakdale, were charged Tuesday with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder in the shooting that killed Vone Moua, 45, early Sunday at Malina's Sports Bar. Two other people were injured in the shooting.

Her was arrested over the weekend.

Moua, who was also a social worker, had owned the bar at 691 N. Dale St. for at least 10 years with his wife.

According to the complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court:

About 2:15 a.m., Her was told that he had to quit playing pool and leave because the bar was closed. Her complained to Moua that he had already paid to play the game.

A little later, Her pounded on the locked door. Moua gave a waitress permission to let in him and Vang. Her later told police that he called Vang, who had been playing pool with Her earlier, and told him to bring a gun, which Her said was to be used to scare Moua into giving his money back.

After exchanging some words, Moua and Her got into a shoving match that other bar employees and customers joined in as they pushed Her to the door. Witnesses said Vang shot Moua in the head, then shot and grazed the neck of the bar's disc jockey, who had intervened and grabbed at the weapon. Vang also shot another man, one of Moua's friends, in the side under his left armpit as he also tried to step in before Her and Vang fled in a car.

Moua's wife, who had come to the bar with her children to pick Moua up, witnessed the shooting and tended to her husband's head wound before he was taken to Regions Hospital, where he died.

Police on Sunday tracked Her to the 300 block of Toronto Street. Her, holding a baby, answered the door and told police he knew why they were there. Officers saw a bloodstained shirt on a pile of clothing in the house.

Her told police he had paid $20 to play pool for two hours and was refused a refund when he had to leave. Her said that when he and Vang were let back into the bar, Moua pushed and choked him. Her said that he was pushed against the door and that several people "wrestled them down." Her said he did not see the shooting because Vang was behind him. He heard gunshots and saw Moua fall.