New York City’s Chinatown in Manhattan was struck by a bloody murder case two years ago when a homeless person tracked and killed Christina Yuna Lee. This tragic incident brought the area’s homelessness issue to the forefront. Recently, Christina Yuna Lee’s former landlord, Brian Chin, was also exposed by the media for a serious physical altercation with a homeless individual, leading to charges of aggravated assault.
According to a report by the New York Post on August 25th, last Saturday around 8:30 pm, surveillance footage captured Brian Chin wearing black gloves and kicking the homeless person sleeping on the corner three times. The homeless person woke up and picked up items in front of Brian Chin. Subsequently, both individuals left the scene, only to return shortly thereafter, escalating the conflict.
The report indicated that as the homeless person was leaving, he threw a wooden chair to the ground and brandished a wooden stick with nails towards Brian Chin. Brian Chin struck the homeless person, causing him to fall to the ground, and continued to attack his head. Despite the homeless person being incapacitated on the ground, Brian Chin continued to deliver six blows to his head and face.
When the police arrived at the scene, the homeless person tried to get up but hit his head on a subway railing and fell down, subsequently being rushed to Bellevue Hospital for treatment. As of last Sunday, the severely injured homeless person remained intubated and using a breathing machine.
Brian Chin later told the police that the homeless individual had threatened pedestrians before he kicked him. Following the incident, Brian Chin was charged with a serious assault, while the homeless person was charged with threatening others. Brian Chin’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 10.
Our reporter reached out to Brian Chin on the 26th, and he mentioned that he was released on Sunday afternoon and returned home.
The conflict took place just a few steps away from Brian Chin’s property on Chrystie St. On the eve of Valentine’s Day in 2022, a 35-year-old Korean-American woman, Christina Yuna Lee, was ruthlessly tracked and killed by a 27-year-old homeless man named Assamad Nash after he followed her into the apartment building.
Nash, the perpetrator, had been living near the crime scene in a homeless shelter. Kay Webster, the chair of the Manhattan Community Board 3 Parks Committee, had witnessed Nash loitering near Roosevelt Park.
After Nash followed Christina Yuna Lee into the apartment building and obstructed her view to forcefully enter the apartment, he attempted sexual assault but ended up brutally murdering her. He disguised his voice as a woman’s to delay the authorities from solving the case. When the police arrived, Christina Yuna Lee had already suffered more than 40 stab wounds and lay lifeless in a pool of blood.
Following the incident, Brian Chin actively participated in demonstrations against the establishment of more homeless shelters in the Chinatown community and became a member of the Sara D. Roosevelt Park Alliance. He worked towards addressing the issues of homelessness and drug trafficking in Roosevelt Park to make it a safer and more community-friendly space.
The tragic murder of Christina Yuna Lee and the recent altercation involving Brian Chin and a homeless individual have reignited discussions on homelessness and public safety in Manhattan’s Chinatown, urging the community to address these complex social issues effectively and compassionately.