A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

  

Two weeks ago, Jack (Xiao Yu) Zhong was singing merrily with Deputy Consulate General Fang Li at the Yee Fung Toy Banquet and today he has five stab wounds on his back. Indeed, picture is worth a thousand words! The facial expression on PRC Consulate officers visiting him at Ben Taub Emergency Hospital depicts the deep concern of safety among Chinese living in the Chinatown area. Following is what happened to Jack.   

Jack Zhong is lucky to be alive today. On a rainy night, March 13, 2007, he parked his car and headed toward home at the Blossom Garden Apartment Complex behind Bellaire Chinatown, he walked past an African American who greeted him hello. Without warning, the assailant turned around and stabbed Jack twice on his back, pushed him down, covered his mouth, and stabbed him three more times before emptying his pocket for his wallet. The suspect fled and left Jack bleeding profusely on the sidewalk. Fortunately, Jack managed to get to his apartment before collapsing in front of his wife and two daughters, who arrived a few minutes earlier with a friend in a separate car. Friends and neighbors improvised a towel tourniquet around his body to minimize bleeding while waiting for the ambulance.

After much commotion, Jack was finally admitted into Ben Taub General Hospital Trauma Unit. Jack was stabbed five times on the back: one cracked his rib, one punctured his lung membrane, one punctured his liver, one pierced close to the intestine and one flesh wound. He was in excruciating pain and was unable to talk the first few days. His wife contacted me on March 16. There was no report of this aggravated robbery on any Chinese newspaper. I contacted Consul Zhou Ding immediately and E-mailed the accident to Officer Jimmy Chau of the Ranchester Store Front HPD office and urged him to follow-up with the investigation. Jack was told that he had to be discharged at Ben Taub the afternoon on Monday 19. Following are facts and considerations that people living in Chinatown would need to be aware of:

  1. Because of too many reported crimes, HPD simply cannot handle all aggravated robbery cases in a timely manner; there was no apparent follow-up investigation or contacts with the Zhong family by HPD personnel so far.
  2. Ben Taub Trauma Unit is for life threatening treatment; once the condition is stabilized and deemed not life threatening, patients cannot stay for further treatment. It is incumbent upon the victims to find another hospital themselves.
  3. People’s Republic of China Consulate Office is empowered to protect its citizens and to assist them on whatever legal matters. Deputy Consul General Fang Li, for example, would contact the HPD concerning the gravity of crime scenes in Chinatown, so as to prevent further occurrences to PRC constituents; he would further urged HPD to investigate this case leading to the arrest of the suspect; he already arranged for a medical doctor to treat Zhong upon his discharge at Ben Taub; he would make a press release to heighten the awareness of tenants living in apartments in Chinatown. The Consulate Office is to be commended for its prompt response.
  4. Tenants are covered by liability insurance in the common area, by law, provided by the apartment owners. File your claim and take legal actions, if necessary. Insist on apartment management to install safety measures. Document deficiencies and take pictures.
  5. Robbers primarily target Chinese (not just the elderly and woman) because they invariably carry cash. Don’t fight. Just give them the wallet or purse. Poor Jack did not even have a chance to fight! Walk with a group. Avoid dark places or going through lanes at nighttime. Jack was attacked on a rainy night at 11 pm.
  6. Obtain a copy of the Crime Prevention Handbook in Chinese from the Houston Police Ranchester Store Front office at 9146 Bellaire Blvd. and ask for Officer Jimmy Chau (713-272-3673).

Jack and his “Guangzhou Buddies” booked a whole table to celebrate our annual Yee banquet. We are proud of their presence. Remember, Jack’s two cute daughters even volunteered for the drawing of door prizes on the stage. They are not Yee. But they are our mainland brothers and sisters and we welcome them as part of our Yee family. In the spirit of upholding our traditional “a friend in need, a friend indeed,” wouldn’t you lend them a hand?

Frank Yu, Houston


受傷同胞鍾曉予給中國領事館的感謝信

敬愛的周鼎僑務組長:

我謹以萬分崇敬及感恩之心謝謝您及領事館各領導對我在發生“3月13日被搶劫受重傷”事件後的深切關懷及幫助。

作為一個新移民,身處異國他鄉,能夠在危難、徬徨之際,得到祖國的強大支持和幫助,著實令我倍感溫暖與安慰,同時也激勵著我戰勝死神、 重燃生活的希望。為此我特別感謝您及房利副總領事、王副領事,感謝您們在我住院期間對我的探望、幫助;感謝您們為改善新華埠治安所做的一切努力!

最後,我再以全家人的名義致以最誠摯的感謝,感謝領事館與我們這樣的海外僑胞同呼吸、共命運、心連心!

祝平安,快樂,健康!

鍾曉予04/20/07


最新消息:


4月26日中午,中國駐休士頓總領館僑務組長周鼎領事偕夫人在"獨一處"餐廳,招待鍾曉予、馬迎春夫婦。

曾熱心給與鍾曉予一家無私幫助的余風采堂會長余頌輝先生、龔珠玲女士和世界名人網主編均應邀出席。

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