An elderly Asian man is recovering from what authorities believe was a targeted attack in southeast San Diego on Friday morning.
What happened: Mark Sonouvong, 81, was on his usual morning walk around 10 a.m. when a man allegedly approached him and asked him questions about his ethnicity. Sonouvong refused to answer and was later assaulted, according to a family member.
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The incident allegedly took place on Imperial Avenue near Escuela Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, according to The San Diego Union Tribune.
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“A guy came over and asked, ‘Are you Chinese or Vietnamese?’ and my brother-in-law said to leave me alone, ”said Dennis Lambert, who visited Sonouvong in the hospital. CBS News 8.
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Lambert said the suspect then pushed Sonouvong to the ground and repeatedly punched him. The attack reportedly left the 81-year-old with multiple injuries, including a punctured left eye and a laceration to his forehead.
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“The guy kicked himself in the ribs pretty well and [gave him a] bleeding nose [and a] big, big black eye, ”Lambert said. “He was pretty roughed up when I went to see him.
The following : Sonouvong was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital, where he was still recovering on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, San Diego Police are investigating the attack as a hate crime.
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API Initiative Director of government and public relations JoAnn Fields said Friday’s attack was the third on an Asian senior in San Diego. The API Initiative team is proposing a “rapid response action plan” to raise awareness, stimulate data collection and improve overall safety in the city.
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“Currently, we do not have a formal structure [of reporting]”said Fields KUSI News, adding that they need funds for implementation. “This is what we have to do in order to be able to create a website, to have videos in [multiple] languages as well [that] we can reach out to the community, extract the information and disseminate it as soon as possible.
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Fields said they were told that Sonouvong’s assailant was a Caucasian male. No arrests have been made at the time of writing.
Featured Image Via CBS 8
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