Man charged in 'horrific' SF assault of elderly Asian American woman
SAN FRANCISCO – A man has been arrested and charged in connection with an attack against an 88-year-old Asian-American woman in downtown San Francisco last week.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Tuesday that 27-year-old James Lee Ramsey of Oakland has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with the incident, which took place on Ellis Street near Market Street around 11:15 a.m. on Friday.
Prosecutors allege the suspect kicked the elderly victim to the ground. An eyewitness saw the incident and detained the suspect until police arrived. The suspect is also alleged to have committed battery on the witness.
Officers rendered aid to the woman and summoned medics to the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
"The crimes that Mr. Ramsey is accused of are horrific," Jenkins said in a statement. "I am grateful to the witness who was able to detain him until police arrived ensuring that he did not flee."
Ramsey has been charged with felony elder abuse, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and battery causing serious bodily injury. He also faces charges of misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor vandalism.
"My office, on behalf of the victims, and every San Franciscan who is fed up with brazen violence like this, will stand for justice and seek to hold him accountable for his crimes," Jenkins went on to say.
According to prosecutors, Ramsey will be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at the Hall of Justice. The DA's office said they will seek pre-trial detention of Ramsey, citing a risk to public safety.
Ramsey faces more than 10 years in state prison if convicted of all charges.
In 2021, Ramsey was arrested following an attack on Carl Chan, a leader in Oakland's Chinatown. Ramsey was convicted of assault, but hate crime charges were dropped as part of a plea deal.
Anyone with additional information about last week's attack is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department at 415-575-4444 or to text TIP411, beginning the message with "SFPD".
