NYC man pleads guilty to killing senior can collector because he’s Asian
By Carl Samson
Before you read:
- Man arrested for brutally stomping on head of Asian American man, 61, in Manhattan
- Man who stomped on elderly Chinese man’s head says it was retaliation for Korean, Japanese men who robbed him
- Elderly Asian man dies 8 months after being stomped in the head while collecting cans in NYC
- Suspect is charged with murder as a hate crime after Yao Pan Ma dies months later
A man accused in the fatal stomping of a senior Asian man in New York City in 2021 has pleaded guilty to the charge of first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime.
Jarrod Powell, 51, is now facing 22 years in prison for the death of Yao Pan Ma, a Chinese immigrant. In his plea Thursday, he admitted to targeting Ma because he was Asian, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
“This unprovoked attack took the life of Yao Pan Ma and took away a sense of security for so many in the AAPI community in New York,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “Jarrod Powell attacked Mr. Ma because of his race and is now being held accountable.”
Ma, 61, was collecting cans along East 125th Street and Third Avenue on April 23, 2021, when Powell hit him from behind and knocked him to the ground.
Surveillance footage showed the assailant repeatedly stomping on the victim’s head.
At least one person witnessed the vicious attack against the helpless senior.
“He [Ma] was minding his business with his shopping cart. When he got to the scaffolding, an African American man attacked him from behind,” Armetha Knight told the New York Daily News. “He hit him from behind and then curb-stomped him.”
After being arrested four days later, Powell claimed that he carried out the attack in retaliation against a “Korean guy” and a “Japanese man” who allegedly robbed him the day before. He identified Ma as one of them and said he came across him “by chance” the following day.
Ma remained in a coma until his death on Dec. 31, 2021.
His death helped ignite protests against anti-Asian hate at the time.
Family spokesperson Karlin Chan said Ma’s loved ones approve of the plea agreement.
“While this will not bring back Mr. Yao Pan Ma, it is a significant sentence that we can accept,” Chan said, according to the Associated Press.
Bragg said his thoughts are with Ma’s family and friends as they continue to mourn his loss. As of January 2023, his office has 44 open cases related to anti-Asian hate, CNN reported.
Related stories:
- Guiying Ma: Protestors rally over death of fourth Asian in New York City due to violence in two months
- ‘F*ck you, Chinese!’: Elderly man berated with anti-Asian statements inside a bus in NYC
- Hate crime charge dropped for man accused of attacking Virginia sushi restaurant owner after skipping $70 bill
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