OAKLAND — An ex-convict has been charged with two felonies in connection with an unprovoked physical assault on a 76-year-old Asian man in Oakland’s Chinatown, according to authorities and court documents.
The suspect, John Lawrence III, 39, who lives in a homeless camp, is charged with assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and elder or dependent adult abuse.
The victim was walking on the 400 block of Seventh Street about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when Lawrence approached him on the sidewalk. The man, who did not know Lawrence, said good morning to Lawrence, who said something in response before punching him in the face without warning, according to authorities
The man suffered an abrasion to his face but did not require hospitalization. Lawrence fled the scene, but he was eventually identified through video surveillance and arrested about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Eighth and Oak streets near the homeless camp where he lives, authorities said.
According to court documents, after his arrest Lawrence admitted his involvement in the attack to investigators, acknowledged he knew the man was elderly and said he should not have punched him but could not give a reason for why he did it.
The assault is one of the more recent involving Asians and others in the Chinatown area over the past few months that have been denounced by police, residents and business people.
At the time of the attack, Lawrence was wanted on a warrant charging him with misdemeanor assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and misdemeanor battery. In September 2017, he allegedly punched a woman in the face after getting into an argument with her on an AC Transit bus in North Oakland.
According to court documents, Lawrence also has an August 2014 Alameda County felony conviction for assault by means likely to produce great bodily force that he went to prison for. Details of that crime were not available.