The San Francisco District Attorney’s office will formally charge a San Francisco man Monday on accusations of vandalizing some 20 Chinese-owned businesses along with burglary and hate crime charges.
SFist reports Derik Barreto is also accused of defacing seven additional buildings.
According to KPIX, the crimes occurred between April and August of this year.
“We absolutely do not tolerate violence or hate in San Francisco. Chinese-owned businesses should be able to operate without fear of being racially targeted by vandalism, burglary, or harassment,” said DA Chesea Boudin in a statement. “We stand with San Francisco’s AAPI community against hate and will do everything in our power to make sure everyone is and feels safe.”
The DA alleges Barretto, 36, rode around in a scooter and used a slingshot, pipe, or hammer to break windows.
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Most of the incidents occurred outside of Chinatown.
SF News reports investigators say the defendant made remarks leading them to believe he intentionally targeted businesses he thought to be Chinese-owned. Thus the DA charged tagged on an additional 31 hate crime enhancements.
Barreto is also suspected in the vandalism of a bakery in San Francisco.
Surveillance video shows a man breaking the front door window with a pipe, entering the bakery and then leaving. That business has been hit on four separate occasions.
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