An official crowdfunding campaign has been launched on GoFundMe for the 67-year-old Filipino woman who fell victim to an anti-Asian attack in Yonkers, New York, earlier this month.
The victim, whose identity has been kept confidential, was returning to her apartment on March 11 when she passed by Tammel Esco, who reportedly called her an “Asian b*tch” for no apparent reason.
Surveillance footage shows 42-year-old Esco following the victim before she managed to enter the lobby of her building. He punches her head and face more than 125 times, stomps on her seven times and spits on her before the authorities arrive.
The victim suffered brain bleeding, facial fractures and lacerations to the head and face. She was reported to be in stable condition and is recovering from her injuries.
TW: Yonkers cops say 67YO Asian woman called “Asian bitch” by suspect then punched 125 times, stomped, spit on Fri night. 42YO Tammel Esco charged with Attempted Murder, Assault as hate crimes. Victim suffered contusions, facial bone fractures, brain bleeding. #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/H9KDXVr4NA
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) March 14, 2022
The victim’s GoFundMe page, which was launched on Wednesday, includes a short letter from her children, who described their mother as a ”hardworking” woman.
“In this despicable, unprovoked attack, she suffered serious head trauma. She is currently stable, but we don’t know when she’ll be able to return home or go back to work,” they wrote.
The victim’s children confirmed that Esco was a neighbor who lived in the same building as their mother. To keep her safe, they said she will need to relocate.
“She will have to move to ensure her safety as she cannot continue living in her home, apartment building, or neighborhood,” her children wrote. “We want to protect our mother any way we can, so we ask to stay anonymous so that she can focus on her recovery without being bombarded by the media or having more fears for her safety.”
Donations will be used to help support the victim’s medical bills, rehabilitation and relocation costs. As of this writing, the fundraiser has collected $1,935 of its $10,000 goal.
Meanwhile, Esco is facing charges of second-degree assault and second-degree attempted murder as hate crimes. He is being held without bail at Westchester County Jail and will return to court on Friday.
