Her ex refused to repay woman $75 for blueberries she got for his dog, so she posted about it online — without realizing it would help cops catch him
'This guy was a real pain in the molars for law enforcement,' the Irvine Police Department wrote.
When a person gets scammed by their ex, ranting online is usually just a way to blow off steam. That's all Dominique Bird wanted to do after Quan “David” Hoang Vu dumped her and stiffed her on a $75 tab for his dog, Cupcake. She hopped on TikTok to call out the guy she nicknamed the "HNL Swindler." The video blew up, catching the eye of dentists in California and Hawaii. This included Dr. Monique Sison-Aweau and Dr. Kyrell Wright, who say he stole nearly $100,000 from their clinics. Bird’s posts helped surface information that she passed to California investigators, who later located and arrested Vu, as reported by Honolulu Civil Beat on November 6, 2026.
A trial shift gone wrong
The trouble started in 2025 at Dr. Aweau's clinic in Orange County, California. There, Vu came in for a half-day working interview. So, Aweau wrote him a $200 paycheck for his time. Soon after, she spotted unauthorized charges draining her business account. Police later discovered that Vu had lifted the routing and account numbers straight from her check to pay off his personal credit card. Sison-Aweau alleges the stolen funds totaled a whopping $18,000. But she wasn't the only victim.
Schemes across the place
Vu also found work at Dr. Wright's dental office in Hawaii, where he allegedly ran a completely different playbook. According to Wright, Vu pitched discounts to patients who agreed to pay in cash. He allegedly pocketed the money himself and wiped the treatment from their medical charts. Wright claims the 32-year-old walked away with roughly $80,000 from his practice. Meanwhile, authorities in Virginia had also flagged Vu for credit card fraud. Yet none of these crimes were what caused his arrest; it was a much smaller debt that got him caught.
A dog and a breakup
Vu’s luck finally ran out while dating Bird. he left his dog, Cupcake, in her care during a business trip to California. Bird spent $75 on blueberries and coconut water to maintain the pup’s specific diet. When Vu got back, he confessed he was seeing someone else and never paid her back. Bird took to TikTok to warn other women about the man she dubbed the "HNL Swindler." Her post gained traction as other victims shared their stories about Vu and the challenges in getting police to act. Eventually, someone leaked Vu and his girlfriend's plans to attend Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash, which Bird passed to California investigators.
Arrest in Newport Beach
On November 4, police spotted Vu walking down a Newport Beach street with his girlfriend and Cupcake. Officers moved in and arrested him on outstanding warrants and charges of grand theft and identity theft tied to the Orange County dental-office case. "This guy was a real pain in the molars for law enforcement," the Irvine Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. They added that he "tried to escape the pressure by retreating to Hawaii for a little island time" after targeting clinics across the country. Police let Cupcake leave with Vu's girlfriend, while Vu remained in county jail awaiting his next court hearing.
Vulnerable dentists
This incident sheds light on just how susceptible dentists are to embezzlement or theft. A 2025 article in the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association, citing MDA Services, 50% of practicing dentists have been victims of embezzlement. In fact, the study indicates that by the time the current dentists retire, a staggering 70% would have been embezzled. This frequency has led a dental fraud investigation firm to create an online 'Hall of Shame' featuring people who have stolen from practices. Right now, the Michigan list features 21 convicted thieves. That number is likely to rise as more unreported cases are uncovered.
Taking a bit out of crime
The people were quick to react to the arrest of Vu. Paris Merriam wrote, "Well written IPD, excellent. You got to the 'root' of the problem, and no more macadamia nuts for this crook, or he'll need a silver ' filling.'" Meanwhile, Jamison Aweau commented, "As the husband of the victim of this guy, thank you, Irvine PD," under the post by the Irvine Police Department on Facebook.
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