Elderly Woman in Critical Condition After Brutal Assault From Burglar in SF
By Ryan General
An elderly woman is now in critical condition after being mercilessly beaten on Tuesday morning at Visitacion Valley Park in San Francisco, California.
The victim, who turns 89 next month, was identified as Yik Oi Huang. She was described by her granddaughter Sasanna Yee as “a rosy-cheeked jolly grandmother.”
In a Facebook post, Yee wrote that an assailant dragged her grandmother and “beat her up to a bloody pulp” in the park where she usually does her exercises.
According to Yee, her grandmother was attacked by a still unidentified burglar who had earlier broken into her home as she was out exercising. When the assailant found nothing valuable inside the house, he brutally attacked the elderly woman. It was reportedly the second time her grandmother’s home had been burglarized.
Police estimated the incident to have occurred at around 6:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 1000 block of Visitacion Avenue. Huang was found unresponsive on the playground near the slide.
A witness who claimed to catch a glimpse of the assailant before he escaped described him as a “skinny black man” who was wearing a hooded jacket.
Hours after the attack, a devastated Yee made a heartfelt appeal via a live broadcast: “Can we just all come together? The neighborhood here is made up of Chinese, Asians, Filipinos, Samoans, Black people, and we’re all living in fear of each other, and it’s just not right.”
Yee said her grandmother sustained multiple fractured bones to her head and ribs and is currently in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital.
“It is heartbreaking to see this type of senseless violence in our community and no one should ever endure this level of barbarism,” San Francisco District 10 city supervisor Shamann Walton said during a press conference at City Hall the next day.
Yee said the perpetrators are also being held in prayer because they too are suffering.
“This is a very heinous act, yet it also brings light to so many dark places in our society, in our communities. And I just want to highlight that in crisis, we have an opportunity to heal,” she said.
“My grandmother is only one case in so many cases. Let’s put a stop to violence and bring peace to our communities,” she added.
Authorities are now seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect or suspects, as Huang is not yet able to provide any description details. Any video or images from around 6:30 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. could be of immense help.
Ingleside Station Capt. Jack Hart urged residents in the neighborhood to provide any video or images from Tuesday around 6:30 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. that could be of potential help.
“Officers will continue to canvass the area for additional evidence related to the crime,” police said in a statement.
Anyone who can provide information about the assault is urged to call the anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444.
Featured image provided by Sasanna Yee
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