A San Francisco judge on Thursday ordered probation for the man who was convicted in the 2021 death of an elderly man endearingly known as “Grandpa Vicha.” During Thursday’s hearing, Antoine Watson was sentenced to a total of eight years in the unprovoked attack and death of 84-year-old Vic ha Ratanapakdee. Since Watson – 19 years old at the time of the attack but now 25 – has already served five years in jail and earned additional credit for good behavior, Judge Linda Colfax suspended the remaining two years of his sentence and ordered him to be released on probation. In January, a jury found Watson guilty of involuntary manslaughter and assault for the violent attack that happened in San Francisco’s Anza Vista neighborhood in January 2021. The attack was caught on camera and became a flashpoint in the “Stop Asian Hate” movement. The jury acquitted Watson of murder and elder abuse charges, but they determined there were two aggravating factors present, including the claim the attack involved a high degree of cruelty and callousness and that the victim was particularly vulnerable. Thursday’s sentencing decision was devastating for Ratanapakdee’s family. “I didn’t get justice for my father and justice for my family,” Ratanapakdee’s daughter Monthanus said. The family was especially critical of Colfax. They said she unfairly kept some details of Watson’s prior juvenile record from the jury but considered his successful completion of juvenile probation in her sentencing decision. “The judge already had in mind what she was going to do, in my opinion,” Eric Lawson, Ratanapakdee’s son-in-law, said. “And they just carried it out. Her and the defense worked very well together.” San Francisco Jan 28 Friends and family in San Francisco gather to honor Grandpa Vicha San Francisco Jan 14 Jury to begin deliberations in ‘Grandpa Vicha' murder case San Francisco Jan 15 Family disappointed with mixed verdict in ‘Grandpa Vicha' trial District Attorney Brooke Jenkins met with Ratanapakdee’s family after the hearing. She also was not happy with the decision. “Right now, first and foremost, want to speak to this family and the community who I know have been gut-wrenched by Grandpa Vicha’s death and have felt that this process, one, took too long and to get to this date today and to understand that Mr. Watson is going to be released is hard to digest,” Jenkins said. “From my office’s standpoint, this is not what we wanted. This is not what we believe was justice.” Deputy Public Defender Anita Nabha said Watson is truly sorry for his actions. “Whenever someone gets a second chance in life, whenever someone is convicted of a crime that involves taking someone’s life, they need to fully dedicate themselves to fully making amends in whatever way they can,” Nabha said. After being released from jail, Watson will get sent to adult probation and then head home with his mother in Hayward. He has been ordered to check in with Colfax next month as part of his probation. If he violates any terms of that probation, the district attorney’s office can argue to revoke it and ask the judge to send him to prison for the remainder of his sentence. ...read more read less