Elderly San Francisco Resident Returns to China Amid Rising Violence

Rongxin Liao, victim of multiple assaults, leaves after 24 years in the city, citing deteriorating public safety.

87-year-old Rongxin Liao, a resident of San Francisco for 24 years, has decided to move back to China due to the increasing violence in the city.
Liao has been the victim of multiple assaults, including a high-profile case in 2020 where he was jump-kicked out of his walker by an assailant while waiting for a bus.
Following the 2020 attack, Liao and his family participated in a recall campaign against then-District Attorney Chesa Boudin, criticizing his soft-on-crime policies.
Liao was assaulted again in October 2023, and his family has decided it's too dangerous for him to continue living in San Francisco.
Despite a 4.9% drop in assaults in San Francisco in 2023, the city saw an 8.8% increase in assaults in 2022.