A homeless man was in custody Tuesday on suspicion of viciously beating a 70-year-old Sikh man with a golf club during an argument in North Hollywood, but police said they do not believe the assault was a hate crime.
Bo Richard Vitagliano, 44, was arrested Monday night in connection with the assault that occurred Aug. 4 in the 7500 block of Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell.
Detectives circulated a crime alert to officers in the area that included a surveillance photo of the suspect with his bicycle. Vitagliano was spotted Monday night and was arrested near Lankershim and Arminta Street in North Hollywood, McDonnell said.
Vitagliano was being held in lieu of $1.115 million bail, according to jail records.
Earlier in the day Monday, local elected officials, community leaders and representatives of the Sikh community decried the attack on 70-year-old Harpal Singh, who was severely injured with a skull fracture and internal bleeding in his brain. According to the Sikh Coalition, Singh has already undergone multiple surgeries, and he remains unconscious and in critical condition.
McDonnell said that despite the victim being Sikh, detectives do not believe that was a factor in the attack.
“Based on the evidence in this matter, North Hollywood detectives believe the assault was not a hate crime, at least not from what’s been determined at this stage, but instead motivated by a dispute over property belonging to the victim,” McDonnell said.
The Sikh Coalition, however, issued a statement questioning whether that determination can be made yet, since the suspect was only recently arrested and the victim is unable to be interviewed.
“I am grateful to hear that the police have arrested a suspect for the horrific assault of my brother, but we need to better understand this attack and why it is not being considered a hate crime,” Singh’s brother, Gurdial Singh Randhawa, said in a statement released by the coalition. “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.”
The coalition stated: “Fundamentally, we do not believe this incident can be definitively declared not a hate crime after such a short investigation.”
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund issued a statement saying, “While the motive for the attack is still under investigation, SALDEF remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring a full and transparent process, and in advocating for the safety and dignity of all members of our community.”
McDonnell says Vitagliano has an extensive criminal record, including drug, assault and weapons offenses.
The chief said that despite the suspect being in custody, police will maintain stepped-up patrols in the area in response to the attack.
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