Homeless Man Accused of Attacking Sikh Man With Golf Club

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — A homeless man has been arrested in connection with an assault on a 70-year-old Sikh earlier this month, according to authorities.

Police say 44-year-old Bo Richard Vitagliano left Haroal Singh with a skull fracture and potential brain trauma after attacking him with a golf club in the 7500 block of Lankershim Boulevard on Aug. 4. It's unclear exactly what led up to the assault, but witnesses told officers the two men were striking each other with metal objects, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Tuesday.

At some point, it appears that Singh fell to the ground, and Vitagliano continued to hit with until witnesses started yelling at him, authorities said. The 44-year-old homeless man then rode away from the scene on a bicycle.

On Monday, police issued a crime alert with a picture of Vitagliano that was captured by security cameras.

He was located later that night in the area of Lankershim Boulevard and Arminta Street and taken into custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Police said the 44-year-old, whose bail was set at $1.1 million, has an extensive criminal record and has previously faced charges for narcotics, assault with a deadly weapon and other weapon arrests.

Singh, meanwhile. still in a hospital and has already undergone multiple surgeries, according to the Sikh Coalition, which on Monday decried the attack. The 70-year-old remains unconscious and in critical condition, they added.

Police at this time do not believe the attack was a hate crime despite the victim's religious background.

"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,'' Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said during a press conference Tuesday.

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."

City News Service contributed to this report.