A man has been arrested in connection with a violent attack that left a 70-year-old Sikh man hospitalized in critical condition, police in Los Angeles, California said.
Bo Richard Vitagliano was taken into custody on Monday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He’s accused of beating Harpal Singh with a golf club on Aug. 4 near the Sikh Gurdwara in North Hollywood.
Singh remains hospitalized and unresponsive, according to police. Because of his condition, investigators have not been able to take a full statement from him.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Los Angeles office (CAIR-LA) welcomed the arrest but said more needs to be done. The group is calling on the Los Angeles Police Department and the district attorney’s Office to reconsider their decision not to investigate the attack as a hate crime.
“Until Singh can give his full testimony, it is irresponsible to rule out the possibility of hate as a factor in this brutal assault,” “said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush.