Crowdfunding campaign underway for the family of Wen Hui Ruan

An East Village resident, with the blessing of Wen Hui Ruan's daughters, has launched an online fundraiser for the family.

All proceed's go to the family to help with expenses after the 68-year-old Ruan died following a vicious attack on East Sixth Street on May 9.

According to The New York Times on May 12, Ruan worked for two decades manning an iron at a garment factory. He would send money home to his younger brothers so that his nephews could attend college. "He was always eager to help everybody, anybody," Michelle Ruan said. "Always smiling."

You may find the Fundly site here.

Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh last week. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

At the memorial for Wen Hui Ruan on East 6th Street

[Photo by Dave on 7th]

Nearly 70 people were in attendance just after 6 tonight for a candlelight vigil for Wen Hui Ruan, the 68-year-old resident who died following an attack here at 745 E. Sixth St. last week.

City Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office organized the event to give his "family and the community a chance to come together to remember his life and to take a stand against violence in the neighborhood."

Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh early last Tuesday morning. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

Memorial tonight for Wen Hui Ruan

The flyer above has all the details… the memorial will be at the location where 68-year-old Wen Hui Ruan (previous published reports referred to him as Ruan Wen Hui) was brutally attacked on May 9. He died from the injuries he sustained the next day.

745 E. Sixth St. is between Avenue C and Avenue D, though closer to D…


[Looking west on East Sixth Street]

… a memorial remains in place in front of the building.



Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh early last Tuesday morning. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

Ruan, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, had just dropped off his granddaughters when the attack occurred.

To recap what has transpired in this case:

Saturday, May 10

Published reports tell of an attack on East Sixth Street that left a 68-year-old man hospitalized. The NYPD releases a photo of the alleged suspect captured by a surveillance video.


[Photo of suspect via the NYPD]

Sunday, May 11

The NYPD offers $2,000 for any information about the attack.



A tipster sends us the surveillance video that shows the vicious assault and the aftermath … the video shows several people walking by the victim lying injured on the sidewalk without stopping to help.

Monday, May 12

News breaks that the victim, first identified as Ruan Wen Hui, has died from his injuries.


[Photo from 2006 via CBS 2]

His youngest daughter speaks to CBS 2 about her father, who enjoyed playing operas while his wife prepared dinner. "I couldn't believe that this happened to my father because my father is a very good man. He always helps people and he always smiles. Everybody thinks that he’s the best person in this world," she says.

Tuesday, May 13

Police arrest Pugh, who reportedly lives near the scene of the crime, in the early morning on East 14th Street and First Avenue. The arrest is made based on a tip to Crimestoppers. Investigators believe that he sought to rob Ruan, who did not speak English. Pugh leaves the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street early that evening …


[Photo by Frank Franca]

Wednesday, May 14

Before her son's arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, Charlotte Pugh-Douglas tells reporters that she believes someone slipped the club-drug Molly into his drink last Friday evening while partying. As DNAinfo reports, "Pugh didn’t even know about the attack until one of his friends showed him the chilling surveillance footage over the weekend and said the attacker looked like him."

Judge Bruna DiBiase orders Pugh held without bail.

Thursday, May 15

Ruan's family want his killing treated as a hate crime, the Daily News reports.


[Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News]

Friday, May 16

City Councilmember Rosie Mendez's office organizes a memorial service for May 19 to "give Hui's family and the community a chance to come together to remember his life and to take a stand against violence in the neighborhood."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack

[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack

[Updated] Family mourns Ruan Wen Hui as police hunt suspect in deadly assault on E. 6th St.

[Updated] Report: Murder suspect's mother says her son was high on Molly at the time of attack

Report: Family of Ruan Wen Hui wants hate crime charges brought against suspect

Report: Family of Ruan Wen Hui wants hate crime charges brought against suspect

[Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News]

The family of Ruan Wen Hui, who died after a vicious attack on East Sixth Street Friday evening, want his killing treated as a hate crime, the Daily News reports today.

Police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh early Tuesday morning. He has been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

If Pugh's murder charges were to be elevated to a hate crime, then he would face a possible sentence of life in prison without parole, the Daily News reports.

One of Hui's daughters told reporters: "We want the suspect to have the proper kind of penalty so that we feel safe to walk on the street. We demand a life [sentence]."

Before Pugh's court arraignment yesterday, his mother, Charlotte Pugh-Douglas, told reporters that someone slipped the club-drug Molly into his drink last Friday evening while partying. "He wasn't in his right state of mind," she reportedly said.

Per the Post:

But Pugh's own defense lawyer, Frank Rothman, said the distraught mom did not have firsthand knowledge of her son's sobriety, or lack thereof, during the brutal attack. "She's speaking as a panicked mother who’s saying that if this [charge] is in fact true, then someone must have drugged him, because that's not who her son is," Rothman said.

Judge Bruna DiBiase ordered Pugh held without bail

Hui, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, died from his injuries Saturday night.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack (25 comments)

[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack (34 comments)

[Updated] Family mourns Ruan Wen Hui as police hunt suspect in deadly assault on E. 6th St.

[Updated] Report: Murder suspect's mother says her son was high on Molly at the time of attack

[Updated] Report: Murder suspect's mother says her son was high on Molly at the time of attack

[Photo last night by Frank Franca]

The mother of Jamie Pugh, the 20-year-old suspect in the beating death of 68-year-old Ruan Wen Hui, told DNAinfo today that someone slipped the club-drug Molly into his drink last Friday evening while partying.

"He wasn't in his right state of mind," Charlotte Pugh-Douglas said before her son's arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court today.

Police arrested Pugh early yesterday morning. He has reportedly been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

Per the report in DNAinfo:

Pugh didn’t even know about the attack until one of his friends showed him the chilling surveillance footage over the weekend and said the attacker looked like him.

"When he saw the video, it killed him inside. It hurt him. He was crying all weekend. He knows it's him. He just didn't remember," Pugh-Douglas said.

Hui, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, died from his injuries Saturday night. He had just dropped off his two granddaughters after a trip to a nearby playground when the attack occurred.

Police have said that it was an attempted robbery. Pugh has prior arrests for robbery and drugs, according to published reports.

Updated 9:06

CBS New York reports that a judge ordered Pugh to be held without bail.

Per CBS:

As the victim lay dying on the sidewalk, Pugh allegedly continued down the street and yelled, “This is my block,” police said.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack (25 comments)

[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack (34 comments)

[Updated] Family mourns Ruan Wen Hui as police hunt suspect in deadly assault on E. 6th St.

Perp walk at the 9th Precinct for suspect charged in deadly beating of 68-year-old Ruan Wen Hui

Early this morning, police arrested 20-year-old Jamie Pugh in connection with the deadly beating of 68-year-old Ruan Wen Hui. Pugh has reportedly been charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

Tonight, Pugh was led out of the the 9th Precinct on East Fifth Street in front of the assembled media…





Hui, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, died from his injuries Saturday night. He had just dropped off his two granddaughters after a trip to a nearby playground when the attack occurred.

Police have said that it was an attempted robbery. Pugh has prior arrests for robbery and drugs, according to published reports.

Photos by Frank Franca.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack (25 comments)

[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack (34 comments)

[Updated] Family mourns Ruan Wen Hui as police hunt suspect in deadly assault on E. 6th St.

[Updated] Family mourns Ruan Wen Hui as police hunt suspect in deadly assault on E. 6th St.

[Photos of suspect via the NYPD]

The NYPD is zeroing in on the suspect accused of viciously attacking 68-year-old Ruan Wen Hui Friday night on East Sixth Street.

Police are searching for a 20-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, wanted in connection with the deadly assault, The Wall Street Journal reports. The disturbing surveillance video shows the suspect tossing Hui into a wall before stomping on his head several times.

Per the Journal: "The suspect has a criminal history that includes criminal trespassing, robbery and selling drugs, including cocaine and marijuana."

Hui, a retired garment worker who lived on Avenue C and East Seventh Street with his wife, died from his injuries Saturday night. He had just dropped off his two granddaughters after a trip to a nearby playground when the seemingly random attack occurred. Police officials told The New York Times that robbery was a likely motive.


[Photo via CBS 2]

Yesterday, Hui's family continued mourning as they visited the site of the attack at 745 E. Sixth St. (Media outlets have identified the victim as both Ruan Wen Hui and Wen Hui Ruan.)


[A memorial for Hui via Dave on 7th]

From the Times:

Jenny Ruan, 39, the second-oldest daughter, dropped to her knees and wailed in Chinese: “So many people passed. They didn't help, they didn’t call the police. Why wasn't I here when you needed me?"

Mr. Ruan's attacker, Ms. Ruan said, "didn't just kill my father, he killed my family's heart."

The Times also had more details about Hui's life.

In New York, Mr. Ruan toiled for two decades manning an iron at a garment factory, his family said. He would send money home to his younger brothers so that his nephews could attend college. "He was always eager to help everybody, anybody," Michelle Ruan said. "Always smiling."

Mr. Ruan, who retired four years ago, spent much of his free time playing Chinese chess at a park on Mulberry Street. At home he would play Sudoku and listen to Chinese opera while his wife prepared meals.

Read the whole article here.

Updated 11:44 a.m.

Gothamist reports that police have taken a 20-year-old suspect into custody. No charges have been filed yet.

Updated 12:20 p.m.

The Daily News reports that the NYPD made the arrest early this morning on East 14th Street and First Avenue after receiving a tip through the Crime Stoppers line.

Updated 5:44 p.m.

WABC 7 reports that the suspect is 20-year old Jamie Pugh. He is charged with second-degree murder, robbery and assault.

The NYPD says that it was an attempted robbery.

"[P]olice say Pugh screamed at Hui to give him something, but Hui spoke limited English, did not understand, and kept walking."

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: East Village resident dies from injuries sustained in brutal attack (25 comments)

[UPDATED] Reward for info on East 6th Street assault; plus video of the attack (34 comments)