SAN FRANCISCO—On Monday, December 8, the fatally shoving murder trial against Antoine Watson of Daly City against his elderly victim, Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84, of San Francisco, who was originally from Thailand, also known as ‘Grandpa Vicha’ by friends, began with opening statements from the prosecuting and defense teams. Currently, the trial is ongoing with witness accounts expected.
On April 15, San Francisco Judge Patrick S. Thompson said he did not have the authority to change the murder charge to a lesser charge, but either the district attorney or the jury had that jurisdiction. The defense wished to reduce the murder charge to a lesser charge of manslaughter charge, but Judge Thompson ruled that it should go forth to trial.
The defense wished to dismiss the charges of absence of malice, murder and elder abuse because Watson did not know that Ratanapakdee was elder. Instead of dismissing the charges, Judge Alexandra Robert Gordon ruled in keeping the charges. Previously the trial was set for Friday, April 25, 2025.
On Sunday, January 31, 2021, a then-19-year-old Watson was apprehended for the murder of Ratanapakdee. He received critical head injuries and died at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital two days later.
On Thursday, January 28, 2021, Ratanapakdee was fatally shoved to the ground by Watson, who purposefully ran across the street just to attack Ratanapakdee during his morning walk in the Anza Vista neighborhood.
It was captured on surveillance that went viral, becoming the poster child for the ‘Stop Asian Hate’ movement amidst anti-Asian hate during COVID-19 pandemic, targeting Asians. It resulted in establishing the Vicha Ratanapakdee Foundation.
