Six Bay Area men have been charged with hate crimes for targeting Asian American women in dozens of violent robberies.
The men were part of a robbery crew in the South Bay that worked from October 2020 to September 2021, allegedly committing over 70 incidents of robbery, burglary and theft, the San Jose Police Department announced Wednesday.
In the fall of 2021, the robbery unit concluded a yearlong, multi-jurisdictional investigation involving a "prolific robbery crew that targeted victims of Asian descent; Asian females were frequently the targeted victims and many were injured during the robberies," the department stated.
The suspects were identified as Athony Robinson, 24 of Stockton; Cameron Moody, 27 of Palo Alto; Derje Blanks, 23 of San Jose; Hassani Ramsey, 24 of Oakland; Clarence Jackson, 21 of Palo Alto and Malik Short, 22 of Tracy.
During the investigation, numerous firearms were seized, including at least one ghost gun. Many witnesses and victims provided valuable information that helped to identify the group. The suspects were charged by the District Attorney's Office for the criminal incidents, as well as hate crime enhancements.
"Criminals who wish to target you because of your ethnicity, or your gender, will be met with the tenacity of the finest police officers, detectives and attorneys in the nation, and this case is a great example of that," police said in a message to AAPI community members.
San Jose Chief of Police Anthony Mata referred to the men as "predators," thanking those who contributed to the investigation for bringing the suspects to justice.
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