Asian woman beaten during infamous violent NYC attack speaks out, says she forgives and is praying for her attacker

The elderly Asian woman at the center of a now-infamous and brutal attack in March in New York City is breaking her silence. Although she's not fully healed, she wants the world to know that she has forgiven her attacker — and that she's praying for him.

What's the background?

On March 29, 65-year-old Vilma Kari found herself the victim of a violent attack outside an apartment building on Manhattan's Lower East Side. The video of the attack, which went viral, showed the attacker shoving Kari to the ground, kicking her stomach, and stomping on her. He also reportedly shouted anti-Asian slurs at her and told her, "F*** you, you don't belong here."

Also shown in the video were two doormen at the building where the attack occurred who witnessed the attack but did not intervene to protect the victim. In fact, one of the employees could be seen closing the door while the elderly woman lay on the ground following the beating and as the suspect ran off.

The two doormen were suspended shortly after the video was made public. The company fired the pair just days later.

The suspect, Brandon Elliot, who was convicted of murdering his own mother in 2002 and had been on lifetime parole after being released from prison on 2019, has a history of mental illness and was living at a homeless shelter a few blocks from the scene of the attack, Newsweek reported.

NYPD says 65-year-old Asian American woman was walking to church this morning when suspect assaulted her and said “… https://t.co/QEEc7OCPc9
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) 1617065525.0

What is the victim saying now?

Kari sat down for an interview with ABC News' Juju Chang, a portion of which was shared on "Good Morning America" Thursday. She told Chang that she was on her way to church when the attack happened — and now, nearly two months later, she's recovering and has something to say about the man who beat her.

Image source: ABC News video screenshot

Cops said Kari suffered a broken pelvis and head injuries. Kari, who is still using a walker, said she's on the mend, but she's not fully recovered yet.

“Physically, I am healing well but mentally, emotionally, I'm not there yet," she told Chang.

But she had an even bigger message to share: She's praying for Elliot.

"My attacker, I prayed for him, because I felt he needed prayer," Kari said.

Chang pressed her on that, wondering why she would pray for her attacker.

"Because that's the only thing I could do for him in the hope that maybe someday he reforms or he finds the right medicine, whatever [is] needed," she answered.

"Vilma, guys, is literally fighting hate with love," Chang concluded.

VIDEO: Teens knock down 80-year-old Asian man, punch and slap and rob him — all amid high-pitched giggles as victim cries out for help

A pair of teenagers were caught on surveillance video knocking down an 80-year-old Asian man in a northern California neighborhood Saturday before punching him, slapping him, and robbing him — all amid high-pitched giggles presumably from a third teen as the victim cried out for help, KGO-TV reported.

What are the details?

Police told the station the suspects are as young as 16.

The elderly man was on a walk around 4 p.m. when the attack on Acapulco Road occurred, police told KNTV-TV, adding that the suspects ripped off the victim's Fitbit. KGO said the 80-year-old's watch was stolen and that he sustained minor injuries.

Image source: KGO-TV video screenshot

A neighbor who didn't want to be identified told KNTV the victim said the attackers "tried to take his wallet, but luckily he wasn't seriously injured."

The neighbor added to the station that he heard the elderly man tell police he's noticed anti-Asian crime increasing in the Bay Area of late, and "he thought he was targeted for being Asian as well."

KGO said a vehicle similar to the one seen in the surveillance video was observed during a strong-armed robbery in San Leandro less than two hours later. The station added that the victim in the latter incident is a younger woman whose purse was stolen.

Nearly 300% spike in attacks against Asian Americans

Two months ago San Leandro police revealed that violent crimes against Asians jumped by 283% in the city from 2019 to 2020, KNTV reported — and San Leandro is only 36% Asian American.

Police told KGO they can't say how many incidents were hate crimes or race-motivated — but San Leandro police Lt. Ali Kahn noted to the station that "numbers don't lie."

In nearby San Francisco, surveillance video caught the moment an Asian man was punched, fell to the sidewalk, and then was hit with about a dozen punches to the head and back on April 30 — all while the victim's 1-year-old child sat in a stroller just feet away.

The neighbor whose surveillance video caught the attack on the elderly Asian man in San Leandro told KGO he wants to see "more consequences" for the teen perps and others committing similar crimes: "Because it seems to be ongoing ... That's really the best thing that could happen, so they can learn."

'F*** you, Chinese people! I hate you!': Video shows Asian store owner punched in face, knocked to floor by customer

Surveillance video caught the moment when an angry customer walked up to Chong Hu Lu, owner of Max Trading in Washington, D.C., and punched him in the face and knocked him to the floor of his business Tuesday, WRC-TV reported.