San Francisco police arrested a man suspected of two separate attacks on elderly Asian residents near Market Street on Wednesday.
Suspect Arrested
The suspect was identified as 39-year-old Steven Jenkins who witnesses said was involved in a physical altercation in U.N. Plaza about 30 minutes before the attacks. Jenkins allegedly approached the 83-year-old Asian and assaulted him.
As the suspect was fleeing the scene, a security guard nearby pursued him on foot. During the chase, Jenkins assaulted another victim, a 75-year-old woman. The guard was then able to apprehend the suspect and waited until police arrived to take him into custody. Officials transported both victims to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities brought Jenkins to the hospital for an unrelated, prior medical condition. Police booked the suspect at a San Francisco County Jail afterward on two charges of assault likely to produce great bodily injury and two charges of elder abuse.
Police are continuing investigations to determine whether Jenkins would be charged with hate crimes for racial bias as motivation for the attacks, ABC7 News reported.
