An eyewitness account: Asian American women’s fear of hate violence in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — T. Wong has lived in fear of the newly-emerged hate violence against young Asian American women because she fits in the profiles of those victims in a series of related hair-dragging attacks in San Francisco since early July. She also witnessed the assaults against two 14-year-old Chinese American teenage girls outside the Metreon Center on July 26. 

Wong grew up in Southern California and went to college at the San Francisco Bay Area. Since she finished her studies at college, she has lived in San Francisco and worked at high tech firms in the city’s Downtown.

Currently she lives in a neighborhood close to the San Francisco Downtown and Rincon Hill where a number of similar unprovoked attacks on young Asian American Women occurred since early July. Almost all victims in those incidents were dragged by their hair and assaulted on the streets, while suspects were mostly young African American males and females.

The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has been investigating at least five unprovoked attacks that began in July involving a group of juveniles with similar suspect descriptions.

Among those five attacks, two 14-year-old Chinese American girls were violently assaulted by multiple African American juveniles outside the Metreon Center on 4th Street on a busy Saturday afternoon, July 26.

The SFPD's newly-expanded Real-Time Investigation Center (RTIC) deployed drones in the July 26 incident following suspects who fled the scene by bus. SFPD investigators at the center monitored the drones and were able to assist police officers in making three arrests at the Stonestown Galleria area after the suspects got off the bus.

Three female juveniles, who are aged 11, 13, and 14, were first detained by police. Two older suspects were arrested and later released at the scene. The 11-year-old suspect was admonished in compliance with state law and released to her parents at the scene. The 13- and 14-year-old suspects were both cited for assault likely to produce great bodily injury, according to SFPD.

Wong was one of the eyewitnesses in the July 26 attack outside the Metreon Center on 4th Street. The violent attack occurred on a Saturday afternoon in front of an Asian boba tea shop that was packed with people and tourists. Wong's office was only three blocks away from the tea shop which is on the 100 block of 4th Street where the assaults occurred.

The tea shop is relatively new and always busy with lots of customers. Wong has known the Metreon Center area very well.

In the afternoon on July 26, Wong stopped by that popular tea shop and ordered a drink after she finished her work in the area. She stayed inside the shop while waiting to pick up her drink.

"That tea shop is very international and especially popular among very young Asian people,” said Wong. “I am in my 30s and only go there once a while.”

When Wong was waiting for her tea drink inside, customers were lining up outside the shop to order.

Wong said she heard a loud noise first and looked outside through the glass window. She saw the attacks on two young Chinese American girls.

In the beginning, Wong thought it was an altercation. Then she saw only the African American females hitting the Chinese American girls.

"It was a one-sided fight. The Chinese girls kept defending themselves. They didn't fight back. A lot of people were watching," Wong recalled. "Both the Chinese American girls looked very young. I didn't know their ages. I believe they should have ordered their drinks and waited outside to pick up."

"I didn't see what happened before the attacks. What I saw after hearing the noise was only a one-sided fight," said Wong. "One Chinese American girl was first assaulted by multiple African American females who also pulled the victim's hair. She was bleeding."

Wong remembered there were 5 to 6 young people in the suspects' group. Several suspects then moved to attack second Chinese American girl.

"One Asian man stepped in and stood between them trying to stop the attacks. One white woman who was very brave also came to help and stayed with the victims until the police arrived," Wong recalled.

"I was very scared by watching the attacks on both young Chinese girls and afraid to go outside until the suspects left," said Wong, who called 911 while staying inside the shop. "But it was quite some time before police officers arrived at the scene. It took almost 15 to 20 minutes."

Police officers contacted two victims' families and one mother came to the scene, Wong said. The mother who responded to reunite with her daughter at the scene spoke Chinese only.

"I felt so sorry for the victims. I am very scared too as a young Asian woman living in San Francisco," Wong said members of the Asian community are still facing the possibilities of being randomly attacked anytime on the streets because of the race. "It is so dangerous for us living and walking in San Francisco."

"We are so scared. Our community has no representation. We don't have the voice," Wong said she was so disappointed that anti-Asian hate violence continued to happen in San Francisco and city leaders refused to acknowledge the situation and threats to the safety of the Asian community.

Interim Police Chief Paul Yep said there has not been attacks of similar nature reported since the arrests were made on July 26.

In regards to the police responding time to the scene outside the Metreon Center, the SFPD said it was an A priority call.

"On July 26, 2025, officers were dispatched at 3:57pm and arrived on scene at 3:59pm," said SFPD. The investigation of five similar unprovoked assaults are ongoing. The SFPD urged anyone with any information to contact them.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office (SFDA) didn't release more information on three juveniles who were detained and released later at the scene related to the July 26 incident. Members of the Asian community are so concerned that the juvenile suspects would keep committing crimes if they are repeatedly released at the scenes.

"The SFDA fights for justice for victims of crime in the courtroom and does everything we can to help victims heal while helping them understand and navigate the criminal justice system," SFDA stated in a response to the inquiry. "We empathize with the victims and will work with them to address their concerns and answer their questions as the case makes its way through the system."

"There is no place for violence in our community, and we take cases like this seriously. We will do everything we can in partnership with other law enforcement agencies to ensure public safety and that there is accountability," the SFDA added. "We believe that there must be appropriate accountability and opportunities for rehabilitation for the minors involved to prevent future incidents."

California law prohibits minors under the age of 12 from being arrested in almost all cases, according to the SFDA.

Under the current system in San Francisco, the Juvenile Probation Department (JPD) sets the policy regarding which minors are held in custody prior to making their first court appearance. In the July 26 incident, SFPD Officers were advised by Juvenile Probation Department that the juvenile female suspects be released to their parents at the scene.