Asian Can Collector Attacked In April Hate Crime Has Passed Away

An elderly man who was brutally beaten while collecting cans in New York City has now died from his injuries sustained during the hate crime.

Yao Pan Ma, a 61-year-old Chinese immigrant, was in East Harlem picking up the cans on April 23rd, a little after 8:00 p.m. That is when Jarrod Powell attacked Ma from behind. Surveillance video shows Powell repeatedly kicking and stomping on Ma’s head before fleeing the scene. Ma never regained consciousness after the vicious beating. As his condition deteriorated, he was moved to multiple facilities for care. He passed away on December 31st at a long-term care center run by The New Jewish Home.

Powell was arrested on April 27th and has been behind bars since on hate crime charges, felony assault, and attempted murder, though that is likely to be upgraded soon. He admitted to attacking Ma but claimed he did it because Ma had robbed him days earlier. However, the investigation revealed that the men did not know each other, and there was no evidence to suggest that Ma stole from Powell nor encountered him at any point leading up to the attack.

Ma and his wife came to the U.S. in October 2018 from China. He worked in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant as a pastry maker. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the restaurant closed, and he lost his job. He and his wife, who had also been laid off, began collecting recyclable cans and bottles to raise money for food because Ma didn’t qualify for unemployment benefits.

Community activist and family spokesperson Karlin Chan say that Ma’s wife is devastated and is urging the District Attorney’s Office to upgrade Powell’s charges to murder quickly.