Man found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in 2001 death of San Francisco Thai grandfather
January 16, 2026
A 24-year-old man has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of an elderly Thai man in San Francisco. The jury did not find Antoine Watson guilty of murder for the January 2021 attack on Vicha Ratanapakdee. Ratanapakdee was attacked during his morning walk and died two days later, helping spark a national movement against anti-Asian American violence. His family believes the attack was racially motivated, but hate crime charges were not filed. The San Francisco District Attorney’s office says jurors will return Jan. 26 to hear arguments on aggravating factors. Watson testified he was in a haze of confusion during the attack.