Elderly Asian woman who fought off attack in San Francisco to donate nearly $1 million in donations

An elderly San Francisco woman who fought back during an assault – and who has received nearly $1 million in donations since her story went viral – will be donating the funds to the Asian American community to fight racism, according to her family. San Francisco resident Xiao Zhen Xie, 75, attracted international attention after using a wooden board to fight off a man who assaulted her last Wednesday morning.

Police said the same man, identified as 39-year-old Steven Jenkins, had also attacked 83-year-old Ngoc Pham just before the attack on Xie. Jenkins was arrested at the scene. In the days following the news of Xie pummeling her attacker with the board and video showing her berating the suspect as he was taken away on a stretcher, an online fundraiser has generated more than $900,000 after an initial $50,000 goal to cover her medical expenses.