The sentencing of Antoine Watson, convicted in the tragic death of 84-year-old “Grandpa Vicha” Ratanapakdee, is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Department 23 of San Francisco Superior Court, before Judge Linda Colfax. Watson was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and assault, but was acquitted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and elder abuse.
The case languished nearly five years from arrest to verdict, a delay that Frank Noto of Stop Crime Action condemns as a deliberate public defender strategy: letting witness memories dim while racking up substantial pretrial credits, especially when the evidence leans heavily toward guilt. Under the rules then governing custody, Watson earned two days of credit for every day detained, amassing nearly 10 years of credits during his roughly five years in detention. With only a four-year cap on involuntary manslaughter, he is expected to walk out of court a free man right after sentencing.
In the early morning of Jan. 28, 2021, surveillance footage captured Antoine Watson charging violently across the street and slamming into 84-year-old “Grandpa Vicha” Ratanapakdee in San Francisco’s Anza Vista neighborhood. Witnesses heard Watson shout, “Why are you looking at me?” before the brutal collision that sent the senior man, who was on his routine morning walk, crashing to the pavement. Watson did not render aid, did not call for help, and fled with his girlfriend. A neighbor, having witnessed the attack, rushed to help and called 911. Grandpa Vicha suffered devastating head injuries, fell into a coma, and died two days later.
The assault erupted at the height of anti-Asian violence plaguing San Francisco, when Asian Americans faced random threats, assaults, and spit attacks from strangers. Grandpa Vicha’s killing became a heartbreaking emblem, fueling Stop Asian Hate campaigns and fierce demands for stronger protection, accountability, and justice for the vulnerable.