The son of a Queens woman who was brutally attacked last November arrived in New York City, after lawmakers secured a visa for him to fly from China to attend his mother’s funeral. 

Yang Gao said the last time he saw his mother, GuiYing Ma, in person was four years ago. He’s devastated that their reunion this week will be at a funeral home.

"When I first got the call from my father, I was in shock," said Gao, with the help of a translator. "What I lost is my mother, the dearest person that’s closest to me."

What You Need To Know

  • On Feb. 22, GuiYing Ma, a beloved mother and grandmother, died of traumatic injuries that she sustained after she was brutally attacked in late November while sweeping her sidewalk in Corona

  • Her son, Yang Gao, arrived Friday afternoon from China after Reps. Grace Meng and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez secured a visa that allowed him to enter the U.S.

  • Elisaul Perez is now facing two felony assault charges and a charge of criminal possession of a weapon after police said he used a rock to repeatedly strike Ma in the head

Gao expressed gratitude to Reps. Grace Meng and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for securing a visa that allowed him to leave China, so that he could be in New York to comfort his father, who is now alone, and to attend his mother’s funeral in Flushing this coming Saturday.

Gao said his parents left China for America four years ago to make money to support their family back home, but he was 100% against the idea.

He hopes his father will move back to China to be closer to his 14-year-old granddaughter and 9-year-old grandson.

“I was very nervous,” said Gao. “I wasn’t agreeing for them to move to New York at first. I want them to stay in China so I could take care of them, with their age.”

Ma died Feb. 22, several months after police said Elisaul Perez used a rock to repeatedly strike Gao’s mother in the head. She had been in a coma for several weeks before waking up.

Perez faces two felony assault charges and a charge of criminal possession of a weapon.

Meng said she was glad to be able to secure the visa for Ma’s son, especially after learning of this request that he had made to his father four years ago.

“One of the last words that Yang had said to his dad, before his parents left China, when they came to New York, was to bring his mom back safely,” Meng said.

At this time, the husband of GuiYing Ma said he would like to go back to China to bury his wife's ashes, but he said he’s not sure when that trip might take place due to immigration issues.