Vicha Ratanapakdee’s Killer Acquitted of Murder
PLUS: Lurie Announces Free Child Care
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of January 11, 2026:
- Vicha Ratanapakdee’s Killer Acquitted of Murder
- Lurie Announces Free Child Care
- Public Defender May Face Contempt Charge After Refusing Cases
- Lurie’s 2026 Roadmap
- Recallers seek Great Highway revote
Vicha Ratanapakdee’s Killer Acquitted of Murder.
Published January 16, 2026
The Facts
Vicha Ratanapakdee’s killer was acquitted of murder and elder abuse, and convicted instead of involuntary manslaughter and assault for the Jan. 28, 2021 attack that killed the 84-year-old Thai grandfather while he was walking in Anza Vista.
Watson faces sentencing next; under California’s manslaughter penalty statute, involuntary manslaughter carries a 2–4 year term.
The Context
Ratanapakdee’s death—captured on video—became a national symbol as Asian American communities demanded safer streets for elders. A year later, Stop AAPI Hate reported 10,370 hate incidents from March 2020 to Sept. 2021.
San Francisco has since honored him locally, including unveiling “Vicha Ratanapakdee Way” in the neighborhood.
Prosecutors did not bring hate-crime charges, and the trial did not present evidence proving racial motivation.
The GrowSF Take
This is a miscarriage of justice. Anyone who’s seen the video can see the intent in Antoine’s full-speed run at Grandpa Vicha as he viciously shoves the 84-year-old man to the ground, killing him. There was nothing “involuntary” about this.
Lurie Announces Free Child Care
Published January 15, 2026
The Facts
Mayor Daniel Lurie says San Francisco will expand free child care for low and moderate income earners.
Under the plan, a family of four making under $230,000 can qualify for free care starting this month, and families up to $310,000 would get a 50% subsidy starting in the fall; the Chronicle reports it’s funded from a Proposition C reserve and could reach about 19,000 kids.
The program runs through the city’s 500+ providers and sets eligibility using Area Median Income (AMI) thresholds.
The Context
Until now, the Department of Early Childhood’s Early Learning For All covered free tuition up to 110% of AMI (about $171,450 for a family of four) and a 50% tuition credit up to 150% of AMI (about $233,800 for a family of four).
This matters because annual child care costs can run $20k to $30k per child under 5—enough to push families out of San Francisco even when wages look “high” on paper.
The funding for this expansion comes from June 2018’s Proposition C, aka “Baby Prop C.” The tax is funded by a tax on commercial rents, ranging between 1% and 3.5%.
The GrowSF Take
Expanding child care support for middle-class families is good policy. We’ve seen many of our friends move away when starting their families, or seen friends struggle to pay for the basics if they chose to stay. It’s simply too expensive to have children in San Francisco, and that must change. Bravo to Mayor Lurie for making this a priority, because our city simply doesn’t have a future without children.
Public Defender May Face Contempt Charge After Refusing Cases
Published January 16, 2026
The Facts
Judge Harry Dorfman threatened to hold San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju and Chief Deputy Matt Gonzalez in contempt after the office refused to take on a new felony case. Raju and Gonzalez have argued that the office is overwhelmed and short staffed, and can’t take new cases.
Judge Dorfman said he believes the office has available attorneys and will order it to take new felony cases unless there’s a conflict.
The court has already considered releasing some pretrial defendants when people are stuck in jail without counsel due to the Public Defender’s refusal to take cases.
The Context
The constitutional baseline is clear: since Gideon v. Wainwright, states must provide counsel for defendants in serious criminal cases who can’t afford an attorney.
California requires competent representation, and a national study warns that excessive caseloads make effective defense impossible, leaving the Public Defender’s office choosing between refusing their constitutional duty or doing a bad job defending clients.
The GrowSF Take
San Francisco can’t run a justice system where cases stall, victims wait, and defendants sit in limbo. The law is clear - all defendants have the right to an attorney and must be provided one if they cannot afford one. The Public Defender is not above the law.
City Hall should demand better performance from the Public Defender, and it must fund adequate defense capacity. We need strong checks in place to ensure the PD office has enough funding to provide an attorney for every defendant, without exorbitant spending. And the court, the Public Defender, and City Hall should agree on workload thresholds—then enforce them—so we stop lurching from one courtroom crisis to the next.
Lurie’s 2026 Roadmap
Published January 16, 2026
The Facts
At his first State of the City on Jan. 15, 2026, Mayor Daniel Lurie framed 2025 as a comeback year and set a 2026 agenda: affordability, faster permitting, and defending the city’s new zoning maps.
He highlighted the Family Opportunity Agenda which will offer free childcare to families making up to $230,000, and a 50% subsidy for families making up to $310,000. And he recommitted to PermitSF, building on 2025’s progress cutting permitting times.
On housing, he pointed to the success of the Family Zoning Plan, which will make it easier to build family-sized housing, and vowed to defend it against legal challenges.
The Context
2025 showed big improvement on homelessness and stabilization on drug overdose metrics. City data reported just 165 tents and structures in June 2025—the lowest since public tallies began. Overdose deaths, meanwhile, look more like stabilization than a breakthrough: the Medical Examiner’s 2025 overdose report counted 588 accidental overdose deaths from Jan. 1–Nov. 30, 2025, which is about on track with 2024.
All of this sits alongside a looming projected $936M deficit and a push toward a 2026 transit funding measure.
The GrowSF Take
Lurie’s first year was a huge success—both in real numbers and in vibes. San Francisco’s reputation has recovered, tourists are returning, office space is getting leased, and people are feeling like the city is back on the right track.
And if you’re a regular GrowSF report reader, you know that a pro-growth and pro-safety Board of Supervisors was a big part of Lurie’s success. He can do a lot more with their continued support.
2026 will show whether that was a flash of optimism or durable improvement. We’re betting on durability.
Recallers seek Great Highway revote
Published January 15, 2026
The Facts
Organizers tied to the 2025 Engardio recall are launching a new ballot measure aimed at reopening the Upper Great Highway to cars on weekdays, while keeping it car-free on weekends.
To qualify for the ballot, proponents must submit at least 10,582 valid signatures by February 2nd to qualify for the June election, or by July 6th to qualify for November.
This effort is kicking off after District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong’s attempt to put a repeal on the June ballot stalled. Wong needed three other Supervisors to sign on, but only two did.
The Context
Voters approved Prop K in November 2024, closing the road. The Coastal Commission approved the permit, and the Great Highway officially became Sunset Dunes park.
While the closure passed with a healthy margin citywide (55% to 45%), it failed in District 4, where backlash led to Supervisor Joel Engardio’s recall.
Opponents of the new park filed a lawsuit to stop the conversion from road to park, but a judge rejected the challenge in early January 2026. With all other options exhausted, people who want to reopen the road are now turning to the ballot box.
The GrowSF Take
In a development any political commentator could see coming since the day after the November 2024 election, district four residents are putting together a ballot measure to undo the ballot measure that closed the road.
We hope this doesn’t become like the dialysis ballot measures, and that we can stop voting on this after June.