He Violently Terrorized A Bay Area Community, Prosecutors Say. Now, He's Facing Life In Prison

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A man who prosecutors say terrorized the Bay Area's Asian community nearly seven years ago will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Keonte Gathron, 25, will be handed down two life sentences in addition to 31 years in state prison during his next court hearing on Dec. 3, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office said.

Prosecutors say Gathron targeted vulnerable members of the Bay Area community throughout 13 days in January 2019, robbing several people and violently attacking at least one person.

One of the victims, 88-year-old Yik Oi Huang, was found by a family member severely beaten in the Visitacion Valley Playground the morning of Jan. 9, 2019, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Huang died a year after the attack.

There were seven victims total — three elderly and three minors who were on their way to school, prosecutors said, adding that each person was targeted because they were "alone, distracted and small."

“No verdict or sentence could ever fill the hole left when a loved one is taken from us violently,” San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Nathan Quigley said in a statement Tuesday evening. “I hope the sentence to be imposed at least gives each of the people victimized by this man, as well as the family of Ms. Huang, a sense of closure and some measure of justice for the harm he has caused."

Gathron denied the accusations against him. But following a November trial where witnesses spoke about their experiences being robbed by Gathron and evidence was presented against him, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder during the commission of a robbery and burglary, eight counts of robbery, two counts of carjacking, two counts of burglary, one count of and one count of kidnapping for robbery. He was also found guilty of elder abuse and child endangerment.

“Mr. Gathron is now being held accountable for his heinous crimes that targeted vulnerable victims and will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. “While nothing can bring Grandma Huang back to her family, today’s sentence hopefully leaves the victims and their families with a sense that justice was done for all that they have endured.”