Police in California arrested a 55-year-old man accused of stabbing 2 Asian women waiting at a bus stop

© Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesSan Francisco police officer William Ma stands guard on a street corner in Chinatown on March 18, 2021 in San Francisco, California Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

• A 55-year-old man is accused of stabbing two Asian women at a bus stop in San Francisco on Tuesday.
• The women were taken to a local hospital for medical treatment, an official said.
• Police arrested the man on Tuesday night and said criminal charges are pending.
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Police arrested a 55-year-old man accused of attacking two Asian women at a bus stop in San Francisco and leaving the scene.

When police arrived on Tuesday afternoon, they discovered the two women with stab wounds, a San Francisco Police Department spokesperson told Insider.

Police found the man a few hours later and took him into custody.

"A 55-year-old male was arrested for the incident, and booking charges are pending," the spokesperson said.

An eyewitness, Patricia Lee, was working at a flower stand near the bus stop when the alleged stabbing occurred. She described what she saw:

"It was a pretty big knife, it had knuckles on the handle, and the blade had holes in there like a military knife," Lee told KGO-TV. Lee also told the outlet the man "walked away like nothing happened, like Sunday morning."

The San Francisco police spokesperson said they are investigating and "have not ruled it a hate crime at this point."

The incident occurred as crimes against Asian Americans have surged since the start of the pandemic. A 61-year-old Asian man was brutally attacked in New York City last month.

Both unidentified victims in the San Francisco incident were taken to a local hospital, and police said their conditions are unknown.

-Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) May 5, 2021

According to San Francisco supervisor Matt Haney, the victims were treated for their injuries.

"Both of the victims are out of surgery and stable. Their families are with them at the hospital. I am reaching out to the families and victims to offer support," Haney tweeted early Wednesday morning.