A San Francisco man has been booked on attempted murder charges after two women were stabbed Tuesday in an unprovoked attack, police said.
The victims, Asian women 84 and 63 years old, were stabbed near Fourth and Stockton streets, and remained hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, San Francisco police said Wednesday.
Investigators are working to determine if the attack, which happened just before 5 p.m., was racially motivated, police said.
"We don't have any evidence that there was any provocation or warning prior to the attack," Officer Robert Rueca said.
Patrick Thompson, 54, of San Francisco, was arrested Tuesday evening and has been booked on two counts each of attempted murder and elder abuse, police said. Jail records show he was being held Wednesday night.
It was not clear Wednesday night if he had an attorney.
Matt Haney, a district supervisor on the city's board of supervisors, on Tuesday called the stabbing a "disgusting and horrific attack."
Tuesday's stabbings occurred amid an increase in hate crimes and attacks on people of Asian descent that has left some communities on edge, including in San Francisco.
San Francisco police in March said they would increase patrols in predominantly Asian neighborhoods, following what it called "an alarming spike in brazen anti-Asian violence in recent weeks."
