Suspect in San Francisco Beating of Elderly Asian Woman Was on Probation For Different Unprovoked Assault

A man accused of randomly attacking an elderly Asian woman in San Francisco on July 21 is the same person who committed a similar unprovoked assault on a different Asian senior citizen two years ago, The San Francisco Standard reported.

In the most recent incident, James Lee Ramsey, 27, reportedly kicked and threw an 88-year-old woman to the ground in the troubled Union Square neighborhood, sending her to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Ramsey was charged with several crimes, including felony elder abuse and battery causing serious bodily injury. He briefly appeared in court Tuesday afternoon and denied the charges alongside a public defender.

Just last year, Ramsey was convicted of attacking Carl Chan, a well-known figure in Oakland's Chinatown, who was 62 at the time of the high-profile 2021 assault. Ramsey served time in that case and was out on supervised probation.

“I’m not surprised at all that he went out and attacked an elderly lady,” Chan told the Standard. “We are very sad to see another innocent victim.”

Ramsey has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and is believed to be homeless. A February 2022 GoFundMe raised more than $12,000 for Ramsey's treatment as well as food and shelter. That campaign was taken down soon after his recent arrest, according to The Standard.

On July 3, a 63-year-old Chinese woman was fatally shoved to the ground, although police later determined that the incident was likely an accident caused by someone rushing to catch a bus.

If convicted on all counts, Ramsey faces more than 10 years in state prison. He will remain in custody as he awaits trial, and his next court date is set for early August.