SF man charged with hate crime over anti-Asian attack
By Carl Samson
A man accused of attacking several Asian men in San Francisco in late March has been charged with a hate crime.
Key points:
- The suspect, identified as Anell Medrano, allegedly assaulted the victims while making anti-Chinese statements.
- The victims were all Chinese and staffers conducting community outreach work for the elderly.
- Medrano was charged with one count of assault with a hate crime enhancement, which he pleaded not guilty to.
The details:
- The attack, which has reportedly made rounds in Chinese-language news outlets, occurred near Polk and Vallejo streets in the Polk Gulch neighborhood on March 28.
- Medrano, 35, allegedly made anti-Chinese statements and threw objects — including rocks and a bucket — at the victims while they were conducting community outreach for the nonprofit Self-Help for the Elderly.
- Speaking to the San Francisco Standard, Kifer Hu, one of the victims, recalled the suspect saying “hate Chinese,” “Chinese are useless,” “Chinese are soft” and “Go back to your country.”
- Another victim, identified only as Marcus, suffered a scratch around his eye that could have been worse if he had not ducked in time, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
- Medrano, who was arrested shortly after the attack, was charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon with a special hate crime allegation, which he pleaded not guilty to on April 1.
- Additionally, he is facing allegations related to possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia and an unspecified misdemeanor warrant.
- San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins condemned the attack and vowed to continue prosecuting all hate crimes in a news release.
What’s next:
- Medrano is being held in San Francisco County Jail with bail set at $62,500. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 15, which will consist of a preliminary hearing and a decision on the motion for pre-trial detention.
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