Two women found guilty in deadly Calif. nightclub beating

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A California jury has convicted two women of kicking a third woman to death during a fight outside a California nightclub.

Candace Brito, 27, and Vanesa Zavala, 26, were found guilty Thursday of voluntary manslaughter and assault for the Jan. 18 fatal attack on 23-year-old Annie Kim Pham in Santa Ana. They were acquitted of the more serious charge of second-degree murder.

Prosecutors in Orange County said Brito and Zavala kicked Pham in the head after she was knocked down outside The Crosby nightclub. Cellphone video captured the brawl.

Pham was declared brain dead and removed from life support two days later.

"We think it's a fair judgment," the victim's brother, Ken Nguyen, told CBS Los Angeles. "We feel for [the attackers'] families, too. We don't want it to be unfair. But in order to prevent future crimes we want the judgment, the sentencing to be correct."

At trial, defense attorneys said Pham started the fight after another group bumped into her and her friends outside the club. They argued that Pham could have died from punches or kicks she received from others.

CBS Los Angeles reports sentencing has been set for Sept. 12, and that both women face up to 11 years in state prison.

Both sides agreed the manslaughter conviction was fair.

"This is what this was; it was a manslaughter," said Brito's defense attorney Michael Molfetta, according to the station. "These girls never had the intent to kill."

"I think the lesson is - when you're out drinking - have a good time, don't get offended, walk away, just walk away," said an emotional Deputy District Attorney Troy Pino, who had pushed for a second-degree murder conviction which could have sent the attackers away for life. "You have one young woman who's dead. And you have two young women who've been convicted of a homicide. Nobody wins."