San Francisco vigil honors Grandpa Vicha Ratanapakdee as manslaughter verdict and sentencing hearings approach

A community remembrance amid an unresolved legal chapter

Friends, relatives and community members in San Francisco gathered this week to honor Vicha Ratanapakdee—known widely as “Grandpa Vicha”—nearly five years after he was fatally attacked during a morning walk in the city’s Anza Vista neighborhood. The remembrance took place at the area formally designated as Vicha Ratanapakdee Way, a location that has become a focal point for public mourning and civic reflection since 2022.

The gathering comes as the criminal case tied to Ratanapakdee’s death continues to move through post-verdict proceedings. In mid-January 2026, a San Francisco jury convicted Antoine Watson of involuntary manslaughter and assault with force likely to cause injury, with findings that the victim was elderly and that the injuries led to death. The jury acquitted Watson of first- and second-degree murder, as well as elder abuse.

What happened and what the jury decided

Ratanapakdee, 84 at the time, was attacked on January 28, 2021 while walking near his home. Surveillance video from the neighborhood captured the incident, and the footage circulated widely, intensifying public attention on violence targeting older adults and Asian Americans during the pandemic era.

Watson was arrested in 2021 and the case ultimately proceeded to a jury trial that began in December 2025. Prosecutors argued the shove was intentional and deadly; the defense urged jurors to consider a lesser verdict. The final outcome placed the case in the legal category of involuntary manslaughter rather than murder—an outcome that, for many in the community, leaves open questions about accountability even as it establishes criminal responsibility.

Sentencing steps still ahead

Following the verdict, the case entered a phase focused on aggravating factors and sentencing. A hearing on aggravating circumstances is scheduled for January 26, 2026, after which the court is expected to set a sentencing date.

Under California law, sentencing can be affected by the specific charges of conviction as well as enhancements and judicial findings during post-verdict proceedings. The court will consider arguments from both sides before determining the final sentence.

How San Francisco has memorialized Ratanapakdee

Beyond the courtroom, Ratanapakdee’s name has become tied to public memorials and civic actions in San Francisco.

• The City renamed the Sonora Lane stairway—connecting Terra Vista Avenue and O’Farrell Street—as Vicha Ratanapakdee Way in 2022.

• A separate memorial effort has advanced in recent years, including plans for a mosaic stairway tribute in Anza Vista.

“Grandpa Vicha” has remained a widely used community name for Vicha Ratanapakdee, reflecting how he was known to relatives and neighbors.

The vigil in San Francisco functioned both as a remembrance of a life lost and as a marker of where the case stands: a verdict has been reached, but the final legal consequences have not yet been set.