Elderly Sikh Man Beaten with Golf Club in LA: Community Demands Hate Crime Investigation

“`html

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14, 2025 – A 70-year-old Sikh man, Harpal Singh, was brutally attacked with a golf club while on his daily walk. Police have arrested a 44-year-old man with an extensive criminal record in connection with the assault.

Community Questions Hate Crime Classification

Harpal Singh was reportedly attacked by a man on a bike wielding a golf club near the Sikh Gurdwara of Los Angeles in North Hollywood on Monday, Aug. 4. The incident has left the Sikh community questioning the Los Angeles police Department’s classification of the assault.

NEED TO KNOW

• Harpal singh was attacked with a golf club.
• Richard Vitagliano, 44, was arrested for the assault.
• The LAPD does not believe the assault was a hate crime.
• The Sikh Coalition has questioned the LAPD’s determination.

Singh was walking near the Sikh Gurdwara of Los Angeles in North Hollywood when he was attacked. The assailant reportedly struck Singh with the golf club. His family reported that he sustained a skull fracture and internal bleeding in the brain. He was placed in a medically induced coma and underwent three surgeries.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 12, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell announced the arrest of Richard Vitagliano, 44, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Vitagliano’s arrest followed the review of surveillance footage that allegedly captured him approaching Singh on a bike on Lankershim Blvd. The bicycle was later found, and Vitagliano was taken into custody that same night.

“Vitagliano has an extensive criminal record for narcotics, assault with a deadly weapon and also various weapons charges,” McDonnell stated.

McDonnell added that North Hollywood detectives believe, based on the evidence at this stage, the assault was not a hate crime. detectives suspect an alleged dispute over the victim’s property may have motivated the attack.

This determination has caused concern within the Sikh community.The Sikh Coalition stated on Aug. 12 that it is indeed “unfeasible to completely rule out that this is a hate crime at this stage.” The organization noted that Singh remains unconscious and unable to provide a full account of the incident to the police.

“After such an interview happens, if the LAPD still believes this was not a hate crime, they must publicly clarify how they determined hate was not a factor in this assault,” the Sikh Coalition said.

Singh’s brother, Dr. Gurdial Singh Randhawa, expressed gratitude for the arrest but emphasized the need to understand the attack and its classification. “Justice must be served, and our local Sikh community must know that the area around our gurdwara – where we gather to worship, learn, connect,