In a disturbing incident last Saturday night in Manhattan’s Chinatown, a 79-year-old Chinese man was believed to have been the victim of a hate crime. He was violently attacked by two men while taking a walk near his home.
According to the victim’s daughter Karina Chalo, the incident occurred between 10:30 and 10:50 PM when her father, Mr. Zhou, was walking outside. Unexpectedly, he was followed by two unknown African American men on his way back home. Near Pitt Street close to Delancey Street by the Masaryk Tower apartment building, the assailants suddenly approached him from behind, grabbed his neck, pushed him to the ground, and proceeded to punch his head.
Karina mentioned that her father tried to shout in English, “Money!” indicating he was willing to give up his belongings, but the perpetrators ignored him and continued the assault. They relentlessly applied force, seeming to have a targeted malicious intent rather than just intending to rob him. Karina stated, “He was trying to strangle my father, he wanted to kill him.”
During the attack, the attackers forcefully strangled Mr. Zhou’s throat and slammed his head against a fence and the ground, causing him intense pain and discomfort, with his feet struggling desperately. Fortunately, at a critical moment, an off-duty officer from the 7th Precinct happened to pass by, noticed the unusual situation, intervened promptly, and rushed Mr. Zhou to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
Approximately an hour after the attack, the police successfully arrested the 47-year-old suspect, Richard Quinones. Currently, Quinones remains in custody, while the other suspect is still at large.
Karina mentioned that her father underwent CT scans and X-rays at the hospital, luckily escaping severe internal injuries. However, he still experiences pain in his head from the impact and has exhibited symptoms of vomiting after eating in recent days.
At present, the Manhattan Assistant District Attorney and police detectives are conducting an investigation. The charges include hate crimes of second-degree assault, hate crimes of second-degree strangulation, and hate crimes of assault causing serious injury. The family plans to go and identify the suspects before the end of the week.
According to a snapshot of the initial indictment provided by the family, after his arrest, the suspect expressed to the police, “What about that Chinese guy? Did you search him? I don’t want him to blow us up; I have to protect the Lower East Side.”
Records from the New York court system show that 47-year-old Richard Quinones has three prior cases. He was previously arrested by the NYPD Traffic Division on May 11, 2023, for fare evasion on the subway and prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. On October 31, 2024, he was arrested again by the 9th Precinct and charged by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office with weapon possession and second-degree harassment (physical contact).
This violent attack has once again raised concerns about public safety in the community, leaving Mr. Zhou’s relatives and friends deeply worried about the increasing frequency of random attacks. “The neighborhood is very frightening now,” Karina expressed.