Las Vegas protest decries brutal hate attack on elderly Filipino

A diverse crowd demanding justice for an elderly Filipino victim of an unprovoked assault and for lawmakers and law enforcers to stop anti-Asian hate. TWITTER

A diverse crowd, rallied Thursday morning, June 29, in front of the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, demanding justice for an elderly Filipino victim of an unprovoked assault and for lawmakers and law enforcers to stop anti-Asian hate.

Gloria Caoile, a prominent labor activist and founding leader of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, led protesters’ chants.

Caoile told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the attack shocked many people, especially in Asian American communities, which have seen all too well the rise in verbal and physical attacks on Asians ever since the start of the Covid pandemic.

“It’s just the idea that this may happen again, those emotions are now rippling out in our community, Caoile said. “It was a cry for support. Mr. Quindara was in his home, where we all feel the safest, but he was there and was brutally attacked in his own home,”

Amadeo Quindara,75, was attacked in his garage last May 30, suffering a head wound, bruises and a brain hematoma. He was slammed to the ground and repeatedly punched allegedly by his neighbor Christian Lentz, 44, who also allegedly hurled racist slurs at him for speaking Tagalog to a friend.

Lentz was charged with residential burglary but was released shortly. But the Clark County district attorney’s office announced on June 16 that Lentz is facing charges of elder abuse and residential burglary perpetrated as hate crimes.

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Amadeo’s son, Henry Quindara said hate “is growing all over America” and must be stopped. Assemblyman Duy Nguyen, D-Las Vegas, said that he will begin work on drafting a piece of legislation to directly address hate crime.

Grace Vergara-Mactal, executive director of the Service Employees International Union Local 1107, representing healthcare and public service workers in Nevada, said, “We cannot stand on the sideline while these hate crimes are being committed. She added that it’s not just an AAPI issue, “it’s an all of us issue.”