A brutal attack on a 94-year-old woman, Anh “Peng” Taylor, rocked San Francisco in broad daylight, leaving the elderly Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant with multiple stab wounds. The assailant, Daniel Cauich, perpetrated this senseless act in June 2021, amidst a period when Asian Americans were disproportionately targeted in hate crimes, sending shockwaves through the community.
Despite his conviction for the crime, Cauich’s defense attorney argued that his client, who was homeless and had recently been struck by a car, was grappling with mental health issues at the time of the attack. According to attorney Lisa DewBerry, when confronted with the gravity of his actions, Cauich was overwhelmed with remorse.
However, this explanation, dubbed as “mental health” grounds, swayed Judge Kay Tsenin, who opted for a lenient sentence of five years of probation instead of the 12-year prison term recommended by Assistant District Attorney Phoebe Maffei. Instead of incarceration, Cauich will undergo a comprehensive behavioral and mental health treatment program, under the judge’s supervision.
California Man Avoids Jail Time for Brutal Stabbing of 94-Year-Old Asian Woman (Credits: Asian Dawn)
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Tsenin conveyed a stern warning to Cauich, offering him a final opportunity to evade state prison. This decision came amidst another charge of burglary against the assailant.
Assistant District Attorney Maffei criticized the sentence, deeming it excessively light given the gravity of the offense. She emphasized the brutality of the stabbing, describing it as senseless and horrifying, indicative of a callous willingness to inflict harm on vulnerable members of the community.
Remarkably, Anh “Peng” Taylor survived the traumatic assault. Following the incident, her daughter, Vivianne Taylor, disclosed that they relocated her to an assisted living facility where she has since made a remarkable recovery and is currently doing well.
