Asian Seniors Find Their Cars Burned to a Crisp in Oakland
A pair of Asian neighbors in their 60s and 70s fell victim to car fires in Oakland, California on Saturday. Chheng, an immigrant from Cambodia, woke up at 3:30 a.m. to see his white Toyota SUV engulfed in flames. A vehicle owned by his Chinese neighbor, which was parked directly behind his car, also caught fire. With the rise in anti-Asian violence, both seniors feel they were targeted.
While Oakland Fire doesn’t have any evidence yet to confirm foul play— Mr. Chheng and his senior neighbor, who is Chinese and doesn’t want to be identified feel scared of retaliation if they were targeted. #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/eNieFC5CAF
— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) March 29, 2021
Chheng and his neighbors are the only Asian homes along their road, while the rest are Latino. Earlier this month, Pak Ho, 75, also of Oakland, died after being attacked and robbed while taking a morning walk.
No matter what the case is— Mr. Chheng, who is an immigrant from Cambodia sends this message to the public on behalf of all Asians:
“We want peace right bow. We don’t do anything wrong to people. We just want peace and live in the United States.” #StopAAPIHate pic.twitter.com/zTgSDZGRxE — Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) March 30, 2021
While the Oakland Fire Department has not found any evidence of foul play, Chheng and his neighbor fear retaliation. “We want peace right now. We don’t do anything wrong to people. We just want peace and live in the United States,” Chheng told ABC7 News anchor Dion Lim. So far, Oakland police have also found “no evidence of criminal activity,” but anyone with information is asked to come forward. A local organization is reportedly setting up a GoFundMe page to help Chheng recover from the incident. Feature Images via Dion Lim / @dionlimtv
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