A 94-year-old Asian woman was reportedly stabbed Wednesday morning in San Francisco in what's been described as an unprovoked attack.
The attack happened on the 800 block of Post Street around 10:15 a.m., as NBC Bay Area first reported via the SFPD. The victim was stabbed multiple times by an unknown assailant, but she is expected to survive.
The block where the stabbing occurred is between Hyde and Leavenworth streets.
As the Chronicle reports, police obtained a surveillance image of the suspect, circulated it among officers, and identified him as 35-year-old Daniel Cauich. Cauich was released from jail earlier this month and was awaiting trial on a burglary charge. Officers located him Wednesday on the 1300 block of Clay Street and arrested him for the stabbing.
Cauich now faces charges of attempted murder and elder abuse, among others. Investigators have yet to say whether they believe this was a hate crime.
Nonetheless, with so many acts of violence against Asian elders in recent months, the latest attack prompted public statements from the mayor, district attorney, and others.
Mayor London Breed said on Twitter Wednesday, "With the rise in attacks against members of our AAPI community, I want to be very clear that this type of violence is unacceptable and has no place in our city. We will not stand by as anyone, especially elderly members of our community, are harmed."
And DA Chesa Boudin tweeted, "The stabbing of a 94 year-old Chinese woman today is a devastating tragedy, and we will work around the clock to support the victim and her family while also investigating this case with all our resources."
We will also continue working to support the AAPI community and towards solutions to end the recent surge in violence the AAPI community has faced nationwide.
— Chesa Boudin 博徹思 (@chesaboudin) June 17, 2021
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The stabbing follows about five weeks after an incident in which two older Asian women were stabbed on Market Street. The suspect, a 54-year-old man who suffers from mental illness and had last year completed a Mental Health Diversion program that followed a 2017 incident in which he stabbed another man with a pair of scissors in a homeless shelter.
The suspect in this case has not exactly been a model citizen, and was arrested and charged in the 2016 Mission District murder of 55-year-old Larry Peevey. Cauich was arrested along with his brother and another man, Jose Poot, in the fatal stabbing, but a judge dismissed the charges against Cauich in 2019 citing insufficient evidence. Poot remains in custody awaiting trial in the killing.
Cauich and his brother were also arrested last year in connection with multiple burglaries in North Beach, and the Chronicle reports that he ended serving 100 days in jail after that, getting released in April. By mid-May he was arrested for burglary again, and was out of jail as of earlier this month awaiting trial.
*This post has been updated throughout with new information about Cauich's arrest.
Top image: Google Street View
