Los Angeles police arrest suspect in brutal assault on elderly Sikh man; victim in critical condition
PTC Web Desk: An elderly Sikh man in Los Angeles has been hospitalised with a skull fracture and possible brain trauma following a violent assault earlier this month. The police have arrested 44-year-old Bo Richard Vitagliano, an unhoused individual, in connection with the attack.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the incident occurred on August 4 near gurdwara of Los Angeles, where 70-year-old Harpal Singh was taking his daily walk. Responding to a radio call about an “assault with a deadly weapon,” officers found Singh with severe head injuries. Paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition under medical supervision.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Singh and Vitagliano were involved in a physical altercation. Witnesses reported hearing a loud disturbance and then seeing the two men striking each other with metal objects. Singh was allegedly knocked to the ground, after which Vitagliano continued the assault. When bystanders shouted at the attacker, he fled on a bicycle.
The police have charged Vitagliano with assault with a deadly weapon, setting bail at USD 1.1 million. The authorities said the suspect has an extensive criminal record, including previous arrests for narcotics possession, assault with a deadly weapon, and weapons offenses.
While advocacy group The Sikh Coalition has welcomed the arrest, it criticised the LAPD for not treating the assault as a hate crime. The group argued that it is “impossible to completely rule out” bias motivation at this stage, noting that Singh remains unconscious and has not yet been able to provide a full account of the attack through a formal police interview with professional translation.
“If, after a proper interview, police still believe this was not a hate crime, they must explain publicly how they reached that conclusion,” the Sikh Coalition said in a statement.
Singh’s brother, Dr Gurdial Singh Randhawa, expressed gratitude for the arrest but called for greater transparency. “We need to fully understand why this attack is not being considered a hate crime,” he said. “Justice must be served, and our local Sikh community needs assurance that our gurdwara is a safe space for worship, service, and community life," he added.
- With inputs from agencies
