A Chinese man who was violently attacked in New York City in April, 2021, has died from the injuries he sustained, the New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed to The Hill.
Police confirmed that Yao Pan Ma, a Chinese immigrant aged 61, died on New Years Eve of the injuries, and the case surrounding his attack has now been deemed a homicide.
Ma was allegedly attacked in April by a man named Jared Powell while he was collecting cans in Harlem. Powell, 49, attacked him from behind, kicking his head before leaving the scene. At the time, Ma was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition.
New York police released surveillance video that shows an attacker stomping on Ma’s head.
The attack on Ma was one in a string of hate crimes against Asian Americans that increased amid the coronavirus pandemic. Following the incident, Powell was charged with attempted murder, felony assault and hate crime charges after the incident, according to The Associated Press.
A criminal complaint filed by a police detective reveals that Powell admitted to attacking an Asian man around the same time that Ma was attacked. Powell claimed that the attack was because the man robbed him the day before, according to the AP.
Ma lost his job as a restaurant worker because of the COVID-19 pandemic and was allegedly collecting cans to make ends meet.
Updated 11:48 a.m.