NEW YORK — A 61-year-old Chinese immigrant who was repeatedly kicked in the head during a hate crime eight months ago succumbed to his injuries last week, New York City police confirmed on Saturday.
In turn, the Dec. 31 death of Yao Pan Ma has been deemed a homicide, WPIX reported.
According to the TV station, Ma was hospitalized with severe head trauma on April 23, 2021, after he was pushed to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the head in East Harlem.
Ma, who had lost his restaurant job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, had been collecting cans in the neighborhood when surveillance cameras captured the unprovoked attack, WPIX reported.
The New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force released the footage, which showed the assailant stomp Ma repeatedly while he was on the ground. Ma spent the remainder of his life in a coma, NBC News reported.
Jarrod Powell, 50, was arrested on April 27 in connection to the attack and faces multiple felony charges for attempted murder and hate crime. He pleaded not guilty during his June 22 arraignment, the network reported.
It was not immediately clear if the charges against Powell will now be upgraded in light of the police department’s homicide ruling.
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