18-year-old sentenced to over 6 years in connection with New Hope stabbing

A Plymouth woman was sentenced to over six years in prison on Tuesday for her role in a stabbing that occurred July 26.

A judge sentenced 18-year-old Kristy Hanson to 74 months in prison in Shakopee. She has credit for 227 days already served.

Hanson pleaded guilty in December to aiding and abetting first-degree assault. She was also initially charged with aiding and abetting attempted first-degree murder, which was dismissed at the sentencing.

Hanson’s co-defendant, 21-year-old Chong Vang of St Paul, was charged with attempted first-degree murder. He is due in court on March 20.

RELATED: 2 charged with attempted 1st-degree murder in stabbing at New Hope park

As previously reported, New Hope police responded to a fight between two men at Civic Center Park on July 26, 2023. One of the men attacked the other with an “edged weapon” and ran off, causing the victim to be hospitalized, authorities said.

A criminal complaint states that the victim had 10 cuts and puncture wounds, including to his neck, chest and arms, and he suffered two punctured lungs, an injured left external carotid artery and a severed tendon in his right hand.

Witnesses said they saw Vang on top of the victim and Vang was saying the victim was a rapist before he ran off.

Officers reviewed surveillance video from a Hy-Vee and saw Vang walking around like he was searching for something or someone. While the victim bought a soda, a criminal complaint states that Hanson took a picture of him.

As the victim walked to the park and sat down in the pavilion, Vang came up and appeared to make small talk with him. A short time later, Vang stood up, shook the victim’s hand, hugged him and then started stabbing him, the complaint states.

Police tracked Hanson to a home in New Hope and arrested both her and Vang.

Vang later told police he’d been dating Hanson for around 10 months and, during that time, Hanson told him she’d been sexually assaulted by at least five men, court documents state. Vang got their names from her and pledged that he’d get “injustice” for her and kill them if he found them.

He also allegedly admitted to going to the Hy-Vee that day to find one of Hanson’s alleged rapists and tracked the victim to the park after Hanson called him, the complaint states. He then admitted to stabbing the victim in an effort to kill him because he believed the victim was intentionally following Hanson.

Hanson added that she and Vang had discussed that they couldn’t be seen together, so she went to a car, drove to the park, and picked Vang up after he allegedly stabbed the victim, according to the complaint. She then helped clean the blood off Vang and bought him new clothes before returning home.

In Hanson’s journal, police found an entry that said, “On Wed July 26 (sic) Justice was served.”