Asians Are Strong Crew Help Stop SF Car Robberies Twice in Two Weeks
Hudson Liao, founder and executive director of Asians Are Strong, and Jeremy Jong, the organization’s head of community management, helped pursue the suspects of a car robbery in Japantown, San Francisco on May 2.
Modern-day heroes: Liao and Jong had just finished their free self-defense workshop and were eating and drinking at Pa'ina Restaurant, which Jong co-owns, when a restaurant staff member witnessed a car robbery in progress from across the street, according to the organization’s post on Instagram.
Jong pursued the two suspects into a building complex, while Liao and the other restaurant staff chased the third suspect around the block.
A getaway car was waiting for the third suspect. Liao got to the car but it sped off before he could open the door. Jong and the other staff members were able to recover all the luggage afterward.
The victims, who were reportedly on their way to the airport to go home to Chicago, were a family eating inside the restaurant.
Jong told ABC7’s Dion Lim that he wants “to see more community groups work together because that way we’re all stronger.”
Thankfully nobody was hurt and the tourists got their luggage back thanks to quick-thinking staff.
When I stopped by the restaurant to learn more Jeremy said he’d like to see more community groups work TOGETHER b/c that way we’re all stronger (4/4) #AAPI pic.twitter.com/esjiwNQ2WZ
— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) May 4, 2021
Not the first time: On April 21, Liao and Jong were in the process of filming a new self-defense video when they saw a car break-in from across the street. This incident also posted to Instagram.
Jong and his brother, Ritchie, a volunteer and Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt, quickly intervened and chased the suspect into the Japantown mall while Liao attempted to cut the suspect off.
They successfully took the suspect down and made a citizen arrest while waiting for the police to arrive.
According to Asians Are Strong, they later found that the victims were a Vietnamese family traveling from Kentucky. The team suspected that the family was targeted because their car was a rental and had an out-of-state license plate, the caption reads.
In an interview with The May Lee Show, Liao and Jong revealed additional details not captured by the surveillance camera.
Featured Image via The May Lee Show (left), @asiansarestrong (right)
Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!
Woman Creates Booklets in 7 Languages on How to Report Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
Andrew Yang Proposes the US Adopt 4-Day Workweeks, 3-Day Weekends
Singaporean DJ Called a 'Prostitute' Online Reveals She's Been Working as a Health Care Volunteer
Asian Student Group at San Diego State University 'Zoombombed' by Racists