A 20-year-old man has been arrested for robbing and assaulting two Sikh males on a avenue in Queens, the New York Police Division instructed CBS Information. The assault got here only a week after a 70-year-old Sikh man was injured in a separate incident in the identical neighborhood, based on the Sikh Coalition.
"Sikhs aren't any strangers to hate violence, however the latest string of repeated assaults in the identical location is particularly disheartening and reprehensible," Nikki Singh, senior supervisor of coverage and advocacy for the Sikh Coalition, mentioned in a assertion Wednesday. "We proceed to face with all of the communities who proceed to expertise this type of trauma."
At round 7 a.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of an assault in Queens, New York. Upon arriving on the scene, officers discovered two males, recognized by the NYPD as a 76-year-old and a 64-year-old, struggling minor accidents.
In keeping with a preliminary investigation, two males approached and beat the 2 victims with their fists and a wood stick. The lads then stripped each victims of their non secular headwear and took their cash.
The victims have been transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Heart and are in secure situation, the NYPD mentioned.
Hezekiah Coleman, 20, was arrested and charged with two counts of theft categorized as a hate crime, one rely of theft, one rely of assault categorized as a hate crime, and one rely of aggravated harassment, the NYPD mentioned. The opposite suspect has not been arrested.
The Sikh Coalition mentioned it has been in touch with the NYPD Hate Crimes Activity Drive, and that officers are nonetheless trying to find the opposite suspect.
The assault comes a little bit greater than per week after Nirmal Singh, a 70-year-old Sikh man visiting from Canada, was punched within the face whereas strolling early within the morning to the Sikh Cultural Society in Queens, CBS New York reported.
It's unclear if the 2 incidents, which occurred in the identical neighborhood, are related.
Police have requested anybody with info on the suspect on this incident to name the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline.