Teaunte Bailey Oakland California man charged with murder in suspected hate crime attack on Asian man, Pak Ho, who was left brain dead after punch to the face while taking morning walk with his cane.
An elderly California man has died after being punched in the face earlier this week by a robbery suspect who prosecutors claim has a history of targeting older Asians.
Oakland resident Pak Ho, 75, suffered a traumatic brain injury and brain damage after being knocked to the sidewalk from a single punch on Tuesday. He died Thursday, and his alleged attacker, Teaunte Bailey, 26, now faces murder charges, following the attack, police said.
The victim was ambushed while taking his morning walk with a cane, near his Adams Point home, when the attack occurred KGO-TV reported
The man’s death come Thursday led to Alameda County district attorney’s office adding murder charges against Bailey on top of other charges the latimes reported.
‘I’m at a loss for words,’ Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said in a statement. ‘Through our investigation, OPD has learned that the suspect has a history of victimizing elderly Asian people,’ the chief stated.
Career criminal with a history of robberies and felony assaults
Bailey, a career criminal with vast prior infractions, who was on parole, led police on a chase after cops identified the suspect’s getaway car with surveillance video, according to KPIX 5.
He was eventually apprehended and found with the items he had robbed from Ho. Bailey’s court-ordered GPS ankle monitor also reportedly placed him at the scene of the crime.
In addition to the upgraded special circumstances murder charge, prosecutors charged Bailey with a February robbery and assault against a 72-year-old at a nursing home, KPIX reported.
Baily had been released to home supervision in connection with another crime, and has been convicted of multiple felonies, the report stated.
Rash of crimes against Asian Americans
Last April, he was booked for robbery, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, parole violation, child endangerment and multiple counts of destroying evidence after leading San Francisco police on a post-robbery chase with an infant in the car.
‘Our elders should be protected not the victim of a deadly assault. I am thankful that our officers were able to quickly respond and arrest Mr. Bailey. The Oakland Police Department will relentlessly pursue those that violate the most vulnerable members in our community,’ Chief Armstrong said.
Oakland leaders said they are investigating whether the attack was a hate crime, and connected to a rash of crimes against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Our police will investigate thoroughly to determine whether this was racially motivated or a crime of opportunity,’ Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement Thursday.
There were more than 2,800 incidents of anti-Asian hate throughout the country last year, with 126 of them targeting elderly members of the community, according to data released last month by Stop AAPI Hate national coalition.
