Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer asks for the public’s help to find alleged attackers on a Sikh man last December. Other law enforcement officials and Sikh leaders look on.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer asks for the public’s help to find alleged attackers on a Sikh man last December. Other law enforcement officials and Sikh leaders look on.
FRESNO, Calif. (Diya TV) — With the trial of a juvenile and a man for hate crimes against an elderly Sikh man still fresh in everyone’s minds, a 70-year-old Sikh man was left bloody and bruised after armed robbers attacked him and his wife while the couple were out for a walk.
However, police said the attack was not a hate crime, but rather a case of robbers targeting elderly victims.
The attack, which happened on Monday night, took place against the man and his 60-year-old wife as they were out for an evening stroll. The couple’s names have not yet been released, but according to police, while the two were out for their walk they noticed three men approaching them. Two of the attackers surrounded them, one of which was armed with a knife, police said.
“He pulled out a folding knife and told the male victim he wanted money and his cellphone. He repeated that three times,” Fresno police Lt. Joe Gomez said.
The elderly Sikh man had no money, so instead he handed over his phone to the robbers, police said. But that wasn’t enough to appease the attackers’ demands.
“He just rushes and kind of cold cocks the victim in the face, really for no reason,” Gomez said.
The man fell to the ground as blood spilled over his clothes, at which point police said the robbers then patted down his wife to make sure she had nothing of value before fleeing.
“It looks like young robbers picking on older people. That’s what the motivation is here,” Gomez said while stating that it was not a hate crime.
