Los Angeles, CA – Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the vicious assault of a 70-year-old Sikh man in North Hollywood that left the victim hospitalized in critical condition.
Harpal Singh was attacked with a golf club last Monday during his afternoon walk near the Sikh Gurdwara of LA on Lankershim Boulevard and Saticoy Street, according to the Sikh Coalition.
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) said the arrest took place Monday at around 9:40 p.m. Los Angeles police identified the suspect as Bo Richard Vitagliano, 44, who is currently being held on $1.115 million bail.
Police said the altercation involved both Singh and the suspect, who is unhoused. Witnesses reported hearing a loud commotion before seeing the two men swinging metal objects at each other. Singh was struck multiple times, including while on the ground, until bystanders intervened, prompting the suspect to flee on a bicycle.
LAPD officers later spotted Vitagliano with his bike near Lankershim Boulevard and Arminta Street. Surveillance footage of the suspect played a key role in the arrest.
Singh remains in the ICU after undergoing three surgeries in the past week for severe head and facial injuries, including broken bones and bleeding on the brain. A disturbing video from after the attack shows him sitting in a pool of blood with the weapon lying nearby.
Authorities say the incident was not a hate crime but rather motivated by a dispute over the victim’s property. However, the Sikh Coalition has publicly questioned this conclusion.
“It is impossible to completely rule out a bias motive at this stage,” the coalition said, noting that Singh remains unconscious and unable to provide a comprehensive statement with translation support.
The Sikh community, which has faced repeated attacks over the decades, expressed deep concern over the violence and the initial classification of the motive.
LAPD confirmed Vitagliano has an extensive criminal history involving narcotics, assault with a deadly weapon, and other weapons charges. Extra patrols have been deployed in the area to reassure the community.
