A suspect has been arrested in a brutal attack on a 70-year-old Sikh man who was bludgeoned with a golf club in North Hollywood earlier this month and remains unconscious and in critical condition, authorities said.
The victim’s brother and members of the Sikh community have praised the arrest but question why the assault is not being investigated as a hate crime.
Harpal Singh was taking his daily walk near the Sikh Gurdwara of Los Angeles on Aug. 4 when he was violently attacked, according to the Sikh Coalition. He suffered a skull fracture and internal bleeding in the brain and has undergone multiple surgeries, his family says.
On Tuesday, L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell announced that Bo Richard Vitagliano, 44, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting Singh with a deadly weapon. Officers identified the suspect, who they said is unhoused, using surveillance camera footage of the attack at 7568 Lankershim Blvd. and arrested him after they spotted him riding his bike in the same area Monday evening, McDonnell said.
McDonnell said the attack was not being investigated as a hate crime and that detectives believed it was motivated by a dispute over property belonging to the victim. Vitagliano has an extensive criminal record for narcotics, assault with a deadly weapon, and various weapons charges and is currently being held in lieu of $1.1-million bail, police said.
The victim’s brother Dr. Gurdial Singh Randhawa released a statement saying he was grateful that a suspect had been arrested but that he wanted more information on why the attack was not being investigated as a hate crime.
“Justice must be served, and our local Sikh community must know that the area around our gurdwara — where we gather to worship, learn, connect, eat, and serve others — is safe for all,” said Randhawa.
The Sikh Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to combating violence against Sikhs in the U.S., said it was too early to rule out hate as a motive, noting that the suspect has been in custody for less than 24 hours and the victim remains unable to talk.
“The reality is that elderly men in our community, especially those who maintain their Sikh articles of faith, like turbans and beards, are subjected to violent attacks far too often,” said Munmeeth Kaur, Sikh Coalition legal director, in a statement. “We are gratified that the LAPD heard the concerns of the community and acted swiftly, but it is far too early to definitively rule out bias as a potential motivation for this assault.”
The coalition said Tuesday that it intended to press the LAPD for a thorough explanation of their investigative process. On Monday, the group held a news conference near the site of the attack calling for justice for Singh and more security for the local community.
McDonnell said Tuesday that the North Hollywood command would conduct extra patrols in the area following this incident and continue to engage the community in discussions around public safety concerns.
The Sikh Coalition was founded in response to the spike in hate violence against Sikhs after the 9/11 attacks. Although Sikhism is a separate religion from Islam, hate crime perpetrators often conflate Muslims with anyone who looks Middle Eastern, and Sikhs with turbans and long beards are often targets.
The Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a Tuesday statement condemning the attack.
“We stand in solidarity with the Sikh community and echo their calls for justice,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of CAIR L.A., in a statement. “We call on the LAPD to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack as a possible hate crime.”
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