NEW YORK — A New York man pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of hate crime manslaughter for beating a Chinese immigrant who collected cans to earn money.
Jarrod Powell, 51, is expected to receive a 22-year prison sentence for the 2021 death of Yao Pan Ma. The murder drew national attention as part of a surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in New York and across the country.
“This unprovoked attack took the life of Yao Pan Ma and took away the sense of safety for many in the AAPI community in New York,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement Thursday.
A message seeking comment was left for Powell’s attorney.
Ma was abruptly attacked from behind, thrown to the ground, and kicked and stomped on the head on an East Harlem street on April 23, 2021, authorities said. His attacker fled and knocked him unconscious; a nearby bus driver flagged down an ambulance.
Ma, 61, suffered a traumatic brain injury and never regained consciousness. She died from her injuries eight months later.
Powell was arrested four days after the assault. In pleading guilty, he acknowledged that he attacked Ma because the victim was Asian, according to Bragg’s office.
Ma’s loved ones approved the plea deal, said Karlin Chan, a spokesman for the family.
“While this will not bring Mr. Yao Pan Ma back, it is an important sentence that we can accept,” Chan said, noting that the guilty plea spares the family the pain of a trial.
Ma and his wife immigrated to the US in October 2018 from China, where Ma was a dim sum chef, according to Chan. He has said that both Ma and his wife lost their jobs, his as a kitchen worker, hers as a home care aide, during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, and the couple then began collecting cans and bottles to return to. for refunds.
