San Francisco man charged in late March hate-crime assault on Asian victims

A San Francisco man who was arrested in connection with an assault on several young Chinese men in late March will be facing a hate-crime enhancement, according to the city’s district attorney.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Tuesday that San Francisco resident Anell Medrano is facing a charge of assault with a deadly weapon with a special hate-crime allegation after a March 28 attack targeting several men on Polk and Vallejo Streets. The release issued by the DA said Medrano was arraigned on April 1 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

“Anti-Asian hate crimes are unacceptable, and these baseless attacks have absolutely no place on our streets in San Francisco,” said Jenkins in the release. “Hate crimes shake our communities and have reverberating effects felt in neighborhoods across the City. My office stays committed to prosecuting hate crimes against all races, religions, and groups when we have the evidence necessary to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt.” 

According to reports, on March 28, Medrano allegedly accosted several young Chinese men who work as volunteers for the nonprofit Self-Help for the Elderly, committing felony assault while making racial statements towards the victims during the assault. 

Medrano is currently in custody with bail set at $50,000, though prosecutors are seeking pre-trial detention in the case because of the public safety risk he poses. He will next appear in court  on April 15 for a preliminary hearing on the case and ruling on the motion to detain, the DA’s statement said.  

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