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Cesar Echano and his wife were enjoying their weekly Saturday morning walk through Don Knabe Community Regional Park when they encountered a man in his 20s who proceeded to verbally assault them.
(KABC) An elderly Filipino man sustained a black eye after he was punched by a white man who first verbally attacked him and his wife while walking in Don Knabe Community Regional Park in Cerritos over the weekend in another suspected hate crime against Asians in the US.
Fearing he may be armed, the couple made it to their car parked about a quarter mile away on the other side of the park.
But the attacker threw a punch at the 70-year-old retired health worker while he sat with his seatbelt on the passenger’s side of their car.
He opened the door and boom! My wife was going to drive, I saw it coming, as it was happening so fast. He ran back, my foot was out the door because I was out of balance from the punch, my wife told me to not to get out and close the door.
The couple said they drove off before they could capture any pictures of the assailant. They pulled over a few blocks away to call police and file a report.
Echano then spent a day in the hospital and is now recovering from his injuries from the attack with some antibiotics.
I can’t seem to focus my eye here still, but it has improved today. Yesterday I couldn’t open it. It’s still hurting.
To get them through this traumatic encounter, Echano said he and his wife have turned to their friends from Glory to Glory Church for support.
He also said he would not let this horrific experience disrupt his life. He plans to continue his regular walks, but perhaps not at this park. He said they’ll most likely park their car closer to where there are more people.
Echano hopes potential witnesses and possibly residents or businesses with CCTV could provide some evidence in hopes of identifying the attacker.
