A suspect was arrested and charged Monday following an attack on a 61-year-old Chinese man in New York City, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Police identified 49-year-old Jarrod Powell as the man who allegedly attacked Yao Pan Ma, a Chinese immigrant, a spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed to The Hill.
Ma was collecting cans in East Harlem on Friday when Powell allegedly attacked him, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly stomping on his head.
Ma was taken to the hospital, where he is in a coma and remains in critical condition, The Associated Press reported, citing the police.
Powell was charged with two counts of felony assault, though “the attack against Ma is still under investigation and the charges could be upgraded,” police said, according to the wire service.
The NYPD has yet to say if the attack was racially motivated.
The attack comes amid a spike in violence targeting the Asian American community during the pandemic. The Senate last week passed a hate crimes bill in a 94-1 vote in order to address the surge in anti-Asian attacks.
Elected officials and community advocates are planning a news conference Tuesday to announce the creation of a trust fund to assist Ma’s family, according to the AP.
Updated at 2:15 p.m.