Yahya Muslim

Yahya Muslim assaulted 3 elderly Asian-Americans in Oakland's Chinatown on January 31st, 2021.

Assaults
Muslim, a 28 year old African American man, shoved 3 elderly Asian-Americans to the ground in broad daylight on January 31st. All 3 required hospitalization. Muslim has previously been convicted of assault in Alameda County in 2015 and 2020. He was out on pre-sentencing release when he committed the January 2021 assaults.

Muslim was on a police psychiatric hold from an separate elder-abuse assault perpetrated on the 1st of February when he was identified as the suspect from the earlier anti-Asian assaults and was arrested the afternoon of February 5, 2021 and taken into custody at Santa Rita Jail with bail set at $85,000.

Alameda County District Attorney's office is assessing hate crime charges for Muslim.

Responses
The assaults, part of a broader trend of crimes against Asian-Americans in the Bay Area perpetrated by African-American suspects, garnered significant media attention and national commentary.

In response to this wave of attacks local Asian-American store owners and youth have arranged neighborhood watchs and escorts for elderly Asians who need to travel outside of their homes.

On February 5, actors Daniel Dae Kim and Daniel Wu has offered a $25,000 reward for information of a 91-year-old man who was randomly assaulted also in Oakland's Chinatown. The official reward was subsequently raised to $30,000 with the addition of the city's Metropolitan Bank donation. Kim stated that "The number of hate crimes against Asian Americans continues to skyrocket, despite our repeated pleas for help. The crimes are too often ignored and even excused."