‘We did fail Christina’: Locals and pols hold Chinatown vigil for murder victim Christina Yuna Lee

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By Dean Moses

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Posted on February 15, 2022

Mourners remember Christina Yuna Lee at a vigil on Feb. 15.

Photo by Dean Moses

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As the Chinatown community struggles to come to terms with the brutal murder of Christina Yuna Lee, locals held a vigil Tuesday for the woman who was savagely stolen from her neighbors.

Standing in a huddled circle in Sara D. Roosevelt Park on the corner of Chrystie and Hester Streets, a legion of mourners bowed their heads while gripping flowers in memory of Lee. The sorrow could be felt emitting from the crowd, still confusion trumped feelings of anguish as many asked why Lee had to die. Moreover, why has the AAPI community become human punching bags?

City Council member Julie Won emphasized that Lee was a young Korean woman who made a conscious decision that night to take an Uber home—despite a subway stop being located just down the block from her apartment at 111 Chrystie Street because she felt unsafe.

 

A women clings to a flower during the vigil. Photo by Dean Moses A large crowd gathered to remember Lee.Photo by Dean Moses

 

“We as Asian women are walking around in the level of fear that we have never had to before in my whole entire life in New York City. This is not acceptable. And it is not okay for us to forget why it is that Asian American women are being targeted? Why is it that when Asian Americans are in these violent crimes, why is it seniors and why is it women? Why are you targeting the most vulnerable in our communities? Why is that? What have we done societally? What have we done culturally to paint Asian women and Asian seniors to be somebody that you think are easy prey? What have we done,” Won asked.

“We need to take it a step further to make sure that we are truly addressing what is at hand. If we continue to have homelessness, if we continue to have non-supportive housing, if we don’t have actual substance abuse resources for people who are struggling in our streets, then there will continue to be violence and we will continue to see violence in our streets towards the most vulnerable and we need to make real investments as a city. We need to acknowledge the things that have been failures on our part of government officials and as a society and as a community,” Won added.

Lee herself was remembered as an energetic woman with so much life and ambition, inspiring her colleagues and eager to work with others—yet all of that was extinguished so cruelly.  Comptroller Brad Lander offered the Lee’s family and her community his deepest condolences as he described how special the young woman was.

 

The vigil begged for the hate to stop.Photo by Dean Moses A man lifts a flower as he watches the vigil.Photo by Dean Moses “Asian Lives Matter” a mask read.Photo by Dean Moses

 

“First and foremost, we come today with broken hearts. All of us who have daughters, all of us must care about young people. This is just the worst possible nightmare,” Lander began, “To have that just horrifically stolen from her family, from this community, from all of us it’s shattering, and it’s heartbreaking. We all relate to it as human beings.”

Lander stated that Lee’s life was taken due to cracks in society that have widened exponentially with the pandemic, particularly homelessness and mental illness which has continued to grow with no adequate responses. Admitting that local government failed her, he added that despite the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, he has not seen an expansion of programs to reach out to individuals and confront the gaps in mental health and supportive housing.

 “We did fail Christina, and we know we are going to be back here again if we don’t change what we are doing. We need action,” Lander said, “I’ve got to do more. This city has to do more, so that we are not just here again.”

 

The community marched as one with followers in their hands.Photo by Dean Moses An Asian man holds a sign reading “We are all Americans” as he lays flowers in Lee’s memories.Photo by Dean Moses

 

Many at the vigil say they feel let down by elected officials who have failed to make meaningful change in order to protect the AAPI community and the city as a whole from harm. With shootings, stabbings, robberies, and other violent crimes becoming daily occurrences in the Big Apple, residents say enough is enough.

“I stand against senseless violence in our community, for far too long it has gone on. We have no place for violence in our communities. Not in Chinatown, not in Jamaica, not in Brownville, not anywhere in the city do we stand for senseless violence in our community. We have a serious problem of mental health and homelessness and others that perpetuate the issue of violence that is happening in New York City,” said Kevin Livingston, a community activist.

Following the vigil, community members lifted flowers above their heads and marched to Lee’s apartment, chanting, “Christina, with you” in unison as they, one by one, placed flowers outside her apartment building.

 

A man uses police tape tie signs outside Lee’s home.Photo by Dean Moses Lee’s residence.

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NEW YORK - Prosecutors say the man accused in the brutal murder of a woman in her Manhattan apartment has an extensive criminal record and was on supervised release for several other crimes.

Assamad Nash, 25, was arraigned on Monday night for the murder of 35-year-old Christina Yuna Lee in her Lower East Side apartment.

Police say that Nash had followed Lee into her building and then up to her 6th-floor apartment early on Sunday morning. When she opened the door he forced his way in and repeatedly stabbed her.

Landlord rips Manhattan DA after tenant murdered

 

Manhattan murder

The NYPD has charged a 25-year-old man with the murder and robbery of woman inside her apartment on the Lower East Side.

Neighbors called 911 when they heard screams.

The NYPD arrived but said they were unable to get inside the apartment.  They heard Lee calling for help from inside the apartment but then went quiet.

They said that Nash then tried to imitate a voice of a woman and said they didn't need police.  He then allegedly tried to get out through the fire escape but saw an officer on the roof above him and went back inside.  Officers say they saw him holding a yellow object in his hand when he had tried that escape route.

Police were eventually able to get into the apartment.

 

A vigil was held Monday for Christina Yuna Lee, 35, of Chinatown outside her apartment building where she was stabbed to death a day earlier. (Credit: ChristinaYLee.com)

Prosecutors say Nash was found hiding under the bed with a yellow-handled knife hidden behind the dresser.  He was taken into custody and was evaluated at Bellevue Hospital.  He had a stab wound to his torso and cuts on his hands and shoulders, according to prosecutors.

On Monday, Nash was arraigned on murder and burglary charges. In court, a prosecutor said Nash stabbed Lee more than 40 times.  She was found naked from the waist up.

Prosecutors say that Nash was out on supervised release on 3 open cases, including one where he allegedly punched a stranger on the subway.  They say he has an extensive record in New Jersey.

They say they are still trying to determine if Nash targeted the victim or if it was a hate crime.