SF man accused of string of violent robberies targeting Asian women charged with seven felony counts

September 28, 2021

A hate crime and robbery suspect in San Francisco has been charged with seven felony counts following a series of robberies and attempted robberies of Asian women in March.

“Held accountable”: Chesa Boudin, the district attorney of San Francisco, revealed the charges against O’Sean Garcia on Tuesday after the suspect’s arraignment.

Boudin said the victims were mostly Cantonese speakers ranging in age from 18 to 61.
“We do not tolerate hate or violence in San Francisco, and those who commit violence or target our AAPI community members will be held accountable,” Boudin said in a statement, according to CBS SF. “We know the pain that crimes like this can cause to the broader community; these attacks against Asian women occurred during a time when many in the AAPI community across the nation have felt especially vulnerable.”
On Sept. 21, Garcia robbed a 27-year-old woman of her backpack which contained a laptop that police used to track down the suspect.

Other alleged incidents: A red sedan was involved in all of Garcia’s crimes, according to investigators.

On March 13, a 40-year-old woman who spoke Cantonese was outside of her home around 7:30 p.m. when a suspect and an accomplice grabbed her backpack and pulled her to the ground.
An 18-year-old was the victim of an attempted robbery around 8:30 p.m. while on her way home on March 13. She managed to pepper spray the suspect in the face.
The third alleged victim, 29, held on to her bag tightly after the suspect demanded and tried to grab it. He eventually gave up.
On March 20, a 52-year-old Asian American woman was walking at about 5:45 p.m. when two men grabbed her purse, pushed her to the ground and dragged her before driving off with her belongings.
Garcia robbed two other women just 10 minutes apart on Aug. 5, starting with a 26-year-old who was in her driveway. The suspects fled in a car after the victim’s mother came out of the house screaming.
The second incident involved a 61-year-old who was approached from behind by a suspect and had her bag snatched from her hands.

In a separate case on Sept. 17, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against three men in connection with a string of robberies targeting more than 70 Asian women in the Bay Area.

Witnesses with more information in Garcia’s case are asked to call the San Francisco District Attorney’s Hate Crime hotline at (628) 652-4311.

Featured Image via Tomás Del Coro (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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