Thea Brenda Hopkins, out on bail and linked to violent attacks on two elderly Asian women, one fatal, is now under consideration for mental health diversion. The hearing is set for Monday, March 23, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Drug Diversion Court, Department 18 of San Francisco Superior Court.
Hopkins faces charges connected to two separate incidents in the Bayview: the July 2023 shoving that killed 63-year-old Yanfang Wu, and a March 2024 assault on a 71-year-old Chinese woman that involved grabbing her hair, punching her repeatedly, and throwing her to the ground. The 2023 fatal case was initially deemed an “accident” by then-Police Chief Bill Scott, and the surveillance video was never released to the public despite community demands and calls from city leaders.
The pattern ignited outrage in the Asian American community. After the first death, Hopkins allegedly committed another unprovoked attack on a vulnerable senior within a year. Critics argue that the early closure of the Wu case, combined with the absence of murder, manslaughter, or hate crime charges, reflects a broader pattern of leniency in cases involving Asian hate crimes, allowing repeat offenders to remain on the streets.
Judge Murlene Randle now presides over diversion court, having replaced Judge Michael Begert in early 2026. Randle brings 22 years of experience as a prosecutor, followed by private practice focused on employment discrimination, criminal defense, and civil rights. Under Begert, diversion expanded aggressively to encompass hundreds of serious felony cases not traditionally eligible, contributing to elevated recidivism rates, averaging 3.1 new arrests per perpetrator and subpar court attendance, as highlighted in The Voice’s in-depth coverage of the program.
The San Francisco Asian American community is spreading word of Hopkins’s upcoming diversion hearing, but there’s low likelihood she will show, as she has already missed several court dates. No mug shot or detailed public description of Hopkins has been released, in line with a 2020 policy memo from former Chief Bill Scott that curtailed routine booking photo releases to prevent perpetuating racial stereotypes. Issued unilaterally without Police Commission approval, the policy has led to inconsistent application: in February 2026, the San Francisco Police Department released photos of two white men accused of aggravated assault without delay, while the public lacks clear visuals or descriptors from either the district attorney’s office or police in Hopkins’s case. The Voice reached out to San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew for comment on whether the department plans to retain or revise this policy; no response was received by publication time.