Two men have been charged with hate crimes for allegedly attacking a San Jose State University student while yelling anti-gay slurs on the campus over the weekend, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Grandpa Vicha's death became a major flashpoint in the Stop Asian Hate Movement in 2021. Supervisor Alan Wong and others say it's an important reminder -- that the community needs to keep working to protect seniors and that there are valuable resources out there to help.
Antoine Watson, the man guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 San Francisco death of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, will go straight to probation without additional jail time, a judge ordered Thursday.
The victims say they were speaking Hebrew to each other before being attacked - and that the attackers used antisemitic language. DA Rosen's office is currently not pursuing hate crime charges, but say that could change if more evidence emerges.
Following Thursday's attack at a Michigan synagogue, as well as the beating of two Jewish men in San Jose on Sunday, the Bay Area's Jewish community is on alert.
The graffiti threatened the eradication of Jews on SJSU campus on March 11 and 12, along with the phrases "make Osama proud," "avoid SJSU 4 Muslims" and "Kill all Jews."