Business owners and residents in Oakland's Little Saigon are pleading for help after a violent attack led to the death of a community member.
Surveillance footage showed a worker from Best Dim Sum on 7th Avenue and 12th Street chasing down someone who had just assaulted him on Sunday. The victim approached the suspect and confronted them for vandalizing vehicles in the plaza before the victim was struck with a blunt object, according to the Oakland Police Department.
The restaurant owner's husband viewed the incident and "It caused him to have a heart attack.
"So the owner's husband and the coworker were both hospitalized, and then just yesterday he passed away," said Chien Nguyen, a Little Saigon community member.
According to Nguyen, the owner is "hurting" and now "has to plan for a funeral."
Police later apprehended the suspect on Dec. 15.
Sunday's incident highlights what many in the community categorize as bold and rampant crime that isn't being addressed.
Local
In November, thieves rammed a car into the storefront of a family-owned tobacco shop in the same plaza.
Thanks in part to Chien, concrete barriers now sit in front of the shop.
In September, Bruce Vuong said a similar incident occurred that led him to install a $8,000 barricade.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. >Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
"They rammed a Jeep Wrangler into our buildings and stole quite a bit of equipment and money," he said.
The city approved a plan earlier in the week to try to fill a $129 million budget deficit, which included canceling two police academies. OPD union officials said that closure will reduce staffing levels and slash police overtime, leading to increased crime.
"I've been here over 43, 44 years. This city is in chaos right now, and we need help," Vuong said.
Community members said help is also needed for the owner of Best Dum Sum. Some said they plan to fundraise to offset the cost of an unexpected funeral.
"I know there's nothing we can do to bring back her husband," Nguyen said.
