An elderly Asian man who was kicked in the face while waiting for the bus in San Francisco on his seated walker faced his attacker in court as his family pushed for a harsher sentence.
On Thursday, 84-year-old Rong Xin Liao faced Eric Ramos-Hernandez, 24, in court after he was charged for randomly assaulting him in 2020.
Ramos-Hernandez was allegedly caught on surveillance footage charging at Liao as he waited for a bus while on his seated walker, kicking him in the face, dropping him to the ground and taking off.
Liao says the attack left him with serious head injuries which lead to blood clots, drilling of his skull and multiple stiches, ABC7 News reported.
In court Thursday, it was revealed that after Ramos-Hernandez was released from jail for allegedly attacking Liao, he was arrested and convicted of a trespassing misdemeanor in Santa Clara County.
Liao also spoke and told the judge that the attack has left him afraid to go outside and made him consider moving back to China after coming to this country for a better life.
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Surveillance footage of Liao being kicked in the face while waiting for the bus on his seated walker
Ramos-Hernandez was allegedly caught on surveillance footage charging at Liao as he waited for a bus while on his seated walker, kicking him in the face, dropping him to the ground
Liao says the attack left him with serious head injuries which lead to blood clots, drilling of his skull and multiple stiches
Ramos-Hernandez, who was eventually arrested and charged for the incident, spent seven months in custody before he was released on mental health diversion, which allows a defendant who has been accused to receive treatment rather than serve time in jail.
A victims services advocate for the District Attorney's office claimed Liao asked for, but the family fervently denies this.
Liao's family said it is impossible for the 84-year-old, who only speaks Cantonese, to have requested his perpetrator's release, and in a local interview following the attack, Liao was clear that he wanted Ramos-Hernandez to face 'strict punishment' for his crime.
His grandson Jack Liao told ABC7 News that the DA's office only reached out to the family after the station did a story on the attack a month later.
According to the DA's office, an interpreter was always available for Liao and they were not aware of the 'misunderstanding' until months later.
During Thursdays hearing a large crowd, including anti-Asian hate crime groups, gathered outside the hearing for a rally while holding signs that read 'stop hate' and 'hold attackers accountable.'
Leanna Louie, one of the main organizers of the event, said they were there to let Liao know he is not alone in his fight for justice.
'We want the community to know that when something
