Members of the Quindara family and community supporters address the media outside Clark County District Court in Las Vegas on August 4, 2025, following the sentencing of Christian Lentz for the hate crime attack on 75-year-old Amadeo Quindara.
The attack occurred on May 30, 2023, when Mr. Quindara was in his garage at his home in the Mountain’s Edge neighborhood. According to prosecutors, a day earlier Lentz confronted him after overhearing him speak Tagalog and told him to “speak English.” The next morning, prosecutors said, Lentz returned, entered Quindara’s garage, and struck him multiple times while shouting “Die, die, die.”
Mr. Quindara was knocked unconscious and sustained a head laceration, memory loss, a brain bleed, and ongoing pain, according to court testimony. His wife found him on the floor and called emergency responders.
Lentz was arrested and initially faced multiple felony counts, including burglary and battery with substantial bodily harm to a person over 60. In April 2025, he entered a plea of guilty but mentally ill, acknowledging responsibility while citing a diagnosis of bipolar disorder with psychotic features. As part of the sentence, Lentz must complete Nevada’s Mental Health Court program; if he violates probation terms, he could face 12 to 30 years in prison.
Judge Jennifer Schwartz, who presided over the sentencing, told Lentz, “Starting today, you’re doing 90 days, sir,” and added, “There is no place for hate here in Nevada.”
Family and community reaction
The sentencing has stirred deep emotions within the Filipino American and broader Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. While some initially expressed relief at seeing Lentz taken into custody, others later voiced profound disappointment, calling the penalty “devastating” and “an injustice.”
“After two years of waiting and anticipating that justice would be served, we are deeply disheartened. The sentencing handed down does not reflect the severity of the violence or the racial hatred that Mr. Quindara endured. This is not just an attack on one man—it was an attack on our community, our elders, and our shared dignity,” said Gloria T. Caoile, Senior Advisor of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations NV (NaFFAA NV).
Jacque de Joya, President of NaFFAA NV, said the organization stands in solidarity with the Quindara family and all victims of hate. She reaffirmed NaFFAA NV’s commitment to fighting anti-Asian violence through advocacy, education, and coalition-building, noting that its National Hate Crimes Task Force was formed in response to rising attacks on Asian Americans.
“Let this moment be not just a conclusion, but a catalyst. We honor Mr. Quindara’s courage and resilience, and we vow to ensure that no members of our community—or any community—suffer in silence,” de Joya said.
NaFFAA NV also issued a call to action for:
- Strengthening hate crime enforcement and sentencing standards
- Expanding mental health support without excusing racial violence
- Supporting victims and families with resources and solidarity
- Educating the public to dismantle racial bias
Statement from the Philippine Honorary Consul
Amie Belmonte, Philippine Honorary Consul of Southern Nevada, expressed deep disappointment over what she described as a lenient sentence.
“Such a light sentence risks emboldening hate-driven acts and contributes to a climate of fear and mistrust among communities who have long enriched the fabric of Southern Nevada,” Belmonte said. “A stronger, more decisive sentencing would have sent a clear message: hate has no place here. It would have offered a measure of healing and reassurance to the Quindara family and to all Filipino Americans.”
Belmonte said the consulate remains committed to standing with every member of the Filipino community who seeks safety, dignity, and justice, and called on local leaders and institutions to ensure that future acts of hate are met with the full weight of accountability.
According to the Quindara family, they are speaking out to help raise awareness, protect vulnerable populations, and advocate for stronger measures against hate crimes in Nevada and beyond.
