Cowards targeting Asian American elders

The attack in Oakland's Chinatown was captured by a security camera.

From San Francisco to New York, with the Lunar New Year weeks away, thugs are attacking Asian American seniors resulting in a death and hospitalization for the other victims.

Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, was out for a morning walk in his quiet San Francisco neighborhood when he was attacked by 19-year-old Antoine Watson. Ratanapakdee was tackled and hit his head on the pavement. He was pronounced dead at San Francisco General Hospital two days later.

The suspected assailant, was identified by a neighbor's security camera. Police arrested Watson for what the elder's family called a "hate crime."

Ratanapakdee was pronounced dead at San Francisco General Hospital two days later.

Across the bay, Oakland police said Thursday they are searching for the suspect who was caught on camera forcefully pushing the 91-year-old man from behind, knocking him violently to the sidewalk.

The unprovoked attack occurred in Oakland's Chinatown he 800 block of Harrison Street at 12:10 p.m. Sunday.

Two more victims — a 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman — were attacked by the same susupect, say police. The couple was taken to the hospital.

Actors Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu are offering a $25,000 award for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

“This is something we must change and change it now,” said Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce president Carl Chan.

/a few miles south of San Francisco and Oakland, Kathy Duong’s mother was robbed outside Dai Thanh supermarket in downtown San Jose on Wednesday. Fortunately, Duong said her mother was unharmed.

“She was pretty shaken,” Duong said. “They took her purse. It had her keys, her possessions. It was gone in an instant.”

“We’re seeing countless elders in the Asian American community being targeted, attacked and robbed throughout the Bay Area,” Duong said.

NY Police seek Noel Quintana's (left) attacker seen at right.

New Yorker Noel Quintana, 61, was on his way to first of his two jobs Wednesday morning when a man slashed him across the face from ear to ear.

The violent attack at a Manhattan subway station stemmed from an incident on the subway train on the L Line. Bleeding profusely, Quintana stumbled to the MTA booth where a worker called 911 and taken to the hospital

After he was released from the hospital, Quintana told a local TV station that the attack was unprovoked. The attack occurred as Quintana was disembarking from the train when the assailant slashed at Quintana's face. 

He said the encounter with the attacker began when the man kicked Quintana's tote bag on the train's floor. Quintana responded, "What's the matter with you?" When Quintana moved away with his tote, the man kicked the bag again. Quintana left the train at the next station to avoid the dangerous situation however,  the man followed him and attacked him with a box cutter.

“(At first) I thought he punched me or something — and when I saw the reaction of the people in the train I thought I was hit,” Quintana told the Daily News on Friday. “[Then] I saw my hand [was bloody] because I put my hand on my face. It was bleeding profusely.

“I was so scared. There was a lot of blood flowing,” he added. “I knew from watching movies that most of the people die because of lots of blood lost. I was so afraid of dying.”

Authorities vow to track down the attackers and caution that senior citizens have to be more aware of their surroundings during this perilous time when attacks against Asians are occurring more frequently.