A 70-year-old Filipino man said he was verbally and physically assaulted while walking in a park in Cerritos, Calif., with his wife earlier in June.
The attack: Cesar Echano was at the Cerritos Regional Park with his wife on June 5 when a white man in his 20s came up to them and started verbally harassing the couple, according to ABS-CBN News.
- The man, who remains unidentified, told Echano, “You don’t belong here! Go back to your country,” NBC Los Angeles reported.
- Echano and his wife made their way to their parked car, but the man followed them.
- Completely unaware, the suspect suddenly punched Echano while he was sitting in the passenger seat of their car.
- Echano spent a day in the hospital to treat his black eye.
Other details: Echano said they didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the assailant.
- The couple pulled a few blocks away from the scene of the attack to report the incident to the police.
- He and his wife turned to their friends from Glory to Glory Church for support following the attack.
- The man hopes witnesses and business owners in the nearby area with CCTV could provide evidence to the police.
- The park’s law enforcement is now looking into the matter but has yet to make an arrest.
- Echano, who was traumatized by the incident, said he doesn’t “want to go out anymore.”
- Echano has been living in the U.S. for more than 30 years and said he felt safe before. He is asking the community to stop the Asian hate.
NextShark has reached out to Cerritos Sheriff’s Station, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, for further comment.
Featured Image via NBC Los Angeles
