New York, Jan 9, 2022 – A Chinese immigrant who was brutally attacked in April while collecting cans in East Harlem has died of his injuries, and his case is now deemed a homicide, New York City police said Saturday.

Yao Pan Ma, 61, died Dec. 31, police said. The attack drew national attention as part of a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in New York and around the country. Jarrod Powell, 49, of New York City, was previously charged with attempted murder, felony assault and hate crime charges in the case, which remains under investigation.

A family representative said the charges against Powell should now be enhanced.

“We’re calling on the District Attorney’s Office to upgrade the charges to murder now,” Karlin Chan, a community activist in New York City and a spokesman for Ma’s family, told The Associated Press. “We’re fighting for justice and I hope (Powell) never walks the streets as a free man. He needs to pay for what he did.”

The Legal Aid Society, which previously represented Powell, said he is no longer a client. A message was left seeking comment with another attorney listed in court records as Powell’s lawyer. – AP