Yuzhen Lei, 72, died last week after being shoved to the ground and hitting her head. Her alleged attacker is in custody on assault charges.
Tajanetta Downing, 24, crossed paths with Lei around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8.
Downing was arrested and arraigned the same day. Lei died at Tufts Medical Center that night, after family members took her off life support.
Downing is expected back in court on August 5.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s press release is below:
BOSTON, July 10, 2015—The elderly woman who died after a physical assault in Chinatown has been identified as 72-year-old Yuzhen Lei, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.
Lei, a resident of Chinatown, passed away yesterday evening at Tufts Medical Center, where she had been hospitalized. Prosecutors say TAJANETTA DOWNING (D.O.B. 6/9/91) shoved her during an incident Wednesday morning, at which time she fell and hit her head on the pavement, causing a serious head injury.
Thanks to a civilian witness, Boston Police located and interviewed Downing later that morning, leading to her arrest and arraignment on charges of aggravated assault and battery and assault and battery on a person 60 or older. She was held on $75,000 cash bail and her open bail on two unrelated cases was revoked.
Downing, who claims addresses in Lawrence and Jamaica Plain, was charged in 2013 with assaulting a man at a Columbia Road residence and then assaulting the Boston Police officers who responded to the scene. Prosecutors requested $200 cash bail and she was released on her own recognizance. When she defaulted on two separate court dates, prosecutors requested $1000 bail. She was again released on her own recognizance. She was also charged with throwing an apple, purse, and backpack at a Transit Police officer who stopped her for fare evasion at JFK/UMass station. Prosecutors requested $500 bail in that case and a judge imposed $150.
In the most recent case, prosecutors say Downing and Lei crossed paths in the area of Essex and Chauncy streets at about 7:30 Wednesday morning. Investigators believe they had some fleeting physical contact, after which Downing allegedly shoved Lei. Lei fell to the ground and hit her head on the pavement.
Civilian witnesses in the area contacted Boston Police to report their observations of the encounter. Officers located Downing and spoke to her. Based on statements she made during the course of that interview, detectives placed her under arrest.
Lei was rushed to Tufts Medical Center with a serious, life-threatening head injury and died yesterday evening. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of her death, and prosecutors have not ruled out additional charges against Downing.
Downing was represented at arraignment by attorney Thomas Glynn. She will return to court on Aug. 5.
