Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu are currently offering $25,000 as a reward for information regarding the January 31 assault of a 91-year-old man in Oakland’s Chinatown, following two similar incidents also targeting elderly Asian residents. “The number of hate crimes against Asian Americans continues to skyrocket, despite our repeated pleas for help,†the Hawaii Five-O actor posted to Instagram Friday, along with video of the assault. “The crimes are too often ignored and even excused. Remember #VincentChin. Remember #VinchaRatanapakdee.â€
In a story published February 3, NBC Bay Area reports that there have been “more than 20 attacks recently†in the neighborhood. “The community is in pain from these completely unprovoked attacks but the crimes are too often ignored and underreported,†Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan wrote, reposting Wu and Kim’s reward offer. “Imagine if this was your father or grandfather?â€
According to CBS San Francisco, the Oakland Police Department say they have identified a suspect in the incident; the person has reportedly been in custody on unrelated charges since February 1. “Even though we are confident with our focus on this person of interest, we encourage our community members to remain vigilant at all times,†they said in a statement.
Update: CBS San Francisco reports that police have arrested suspect Yahya Muslim for the assaults and charged him with assault, battery, elder abuse, and “a special allegation of offenses while out on bail,†per the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.