A man accused in an alleged physical and sexual assault at a San Jose train station in March that came with anti-Asian epithets remains in jail without bail, but he has not yet entered a plea in the case.
32-year-old Johan Strydom of San Francisco stands accused of assault with intent to commit rape and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, both with hate-crime enhancements. Strydom allegedly attacked a 26-year-old woman in a tunnel at San Jose's Diridon Station, after she was dropped off by her boyfriend to get on Caltrain on March 10. In the course of the assault, Strydom allegedly said, "Fuck you, Asians, this is completely bullshit," and he did not relent until the boyfriend — with whom the woman was on the phone when she was attacked — and another bystander pulled him off the woman.
The woman was allegedly tossed side to side by her hair, and dragged along the ground.
As NBC Bay Area reports, Strydom was supposed to have a court appearance today, but that has been pushed back until August 2. His attorney asked the court for more time to determine whether Strydom is competent to stand trial, and the judge granted it.
During Strydom's first court appearance in March, he became emotional when the attack was described aloud, as KTVU reported.
The victim, who wished only to be identified as Tiffany, provided a statement at the time that was read by the prosecutor. It read, "It's frightening to have the constant fear of walking through those tunnels, the constant feeling of me possibly getting followed and possibly attacked again. No one should have to go through what I went through."
The attack was one of dozens that have occurred around the Bay Area in recent months targeting people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.
Strydom was said to have a mental illness that was exacerbated by homelessness.
Previously: San Francisco Man Arrested for Assaulting Asian Woman At San Jose Caltrain Station
Top image of Diridon Station via Amtrak