In latest attack on Asians, woman dragged by car in robbery
The husband of a woman who was dragged by a car in Oakland’s Asian business district says the robbery left her bruised and mentally shaken
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A woman was dragged by a car in Oakland’s Asian business district during a robbery that her husband says left her bruised and shaken, marking the latest in a series of attacks against people of Asian descent in the San Francisco Bay Area and in other parts of the U.S.
Eric Nghiem said his wife, Jenny, who is Vietnamese, had her purse crossed around her neck and shoulder as she was walking to a grocery store when a thief grabbed it and jumped into the passenger side of a car Wednesday. Surveillance video shows the victim clinging to her purse as she gets dragged for a short distance before letting go.
Nghiem said his wife is sore and bruised after the robbery in the city's East Lake neighborhood.
“But mentally, it’s worse. She’s scared more than anything else right now,” he said in a phone interview Friday.
At least 32 Asian Americans in the Bay Area have been assaulted or robbed since the start of 2021, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday. Police have stepped up their patrols and volunteers have increased their street presence after violence seen since the start of the coronavirus pandemic sparked new outrage when some attacks were caught on video and spread widely online.
Oakland police said the robbery of Nghiem was under investigation. It remains unclear whether the victim was targeted because of her race.
___
Associated Press writer Daisy Nguyen contributed to this report.