An East Bay woman who admitted she was part of a robbery crew that singled out women who looked Asian has avoided jail, walking away from a potential prison term after completing a court-ordered diversion program, according to recent court filings.
Prosecutors said the group scoped out Chinatown before a June 17, 2021 attack in the parking lot of a Costco in San Leandro, where a woman was robbed and multiple items were taken. Instead of prison, the court required the woman, Sene Malepeai, to complete a set of conditions that included restitution, education, and treatment.
According to Hoodline, one co-defendant, Freddie Lee Davis III, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in October 2024 to 24 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Malepeai also pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2024, and acknowledged in her plea agreement that the three other occupants of the vehicle had discussed going to Chinatown to rob Asian women with purses or jewelry before the San Leandro incident…