Fil-Am beaten to unconsciousness in San Francisco ‘hate crime’ attack

A 59-year-old Filipino-American was on his way to work when he was suddenly assaulted by a man in San Francisco, California, making this one of the latest in a series of attacks against Asian-Americans in the US.

According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras,” Danilo Yuchang was only two blocks away from his office when he was suddenly shoved and battered by the suspect.

“Kung ako ang tatanungin, sa palagay ko hate-crime eh. Kasi walang nawala sa akin. Pati ‘yung mga binili kong pagkain, ‘yung wallet ko, ‘yung cellphone ko na nalaglag sa sahig, wala. Walang nawala,” he said.

(If they ask me, I think it’s a hate crime. Because nothing was taken from me. The food I bought, my wallet, my cellphone which fell to the ground, nothing. Nothing was taken.)

Yuchang said the attack occurred on Monday after his lunch break along Market Street in San Francisco.

“Tinulak ako, eh, napasubsob ako. Nung pababa ako, sinuntok na ako, tuloy-tuloy na suntok. Nawalan ako ng malay, eh. Hindi ko alam kung gaano ako katagal nawalan ng malay,” Yuchang said.

(I was pushed to the ground. When I was going down, he punched me, continuously. I blacked out. I don’t know how long I was out.)

Yuchang said the attacker was saying something, but he could not make out what was said due to the pain.

When he regained consciousness, the San Francisco Police were there and he was already on an ambulance.

In a statement, the San Francisco Police Department said a witness saw the attack against Yuchang.

“A witness told officers that the suspect ran up to the victim and punched him in the head multiple times causing him to fall to the ground where he lay motionless,” it read.

The suspect then fled on board a minibus.

According to the San Francisco Police, the suspect was identified as George Davis Milton, also a suspect in another attack.

Yuchang had filed a complaint against the suspect.

The San Francisco Police Department has not found a motive for the attack.

Meanwhile, the assault on Yuchang was only one of a series of attacks against Asian-Americans in the US, which was said to have begun when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

According to a study of the California State University San Bernardino, hate crimes in big US cities increased by 149 percent in 2020.

“Emotional pain. Nakakapanghinayang, eh. Kasi dati ang San Francisco, napakatahimik na lugar. Then, biglang magkakaganito. Hindi ko alam bakit nagkakaganito ang mga tao,” he said.

(Emotional pain. It’s disappointing. San Francisco used to be peaceful. Then, this happened. I don’t know why people are acting this way.) — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News