Vernon Douglas and Hezekiah Coleman arraigned for hate crimes on Sikh men in Queens
NEW YORK -- Vernon Douglas, 19, was formally charged Saturday after he allegedly targeted and attacked three Sikh men in Queens over a 9-day span, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
In one incident, Douglas allegedly punched 70-year-old Nirmal Singh near the intersection of 95th Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard early in the morning on April 3.
Douglas was charged with two more alleged hate crimes near the intersection on April 12. Katz said he beat a 45-year-old man with a stick and used it to beat a 58-year-old man minutes later. Katz said Douglas pulled the second man's beard and stole $200 from him.
All three victims required medical attention and were treated at the hospital. The 70-year-old man had bruises and a bloody nose. The 45-year-old man required forehead stitches, Katz said.
Hezekiah Coleman, 20, was also charged in connection to one of the alleged hate crimes. He was arraigned on April 13.
Douglas and Coleman face up to 25 years in prison, each, if convicted.
On Thursday, dozens of neighbors and community leaders gathered on the corner of 101st Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard in a call for unity.
"We want to make sure that this hate is no more. This hate does not belong in our city, does not belong in our state, does not belong in our country," rally organizer Japneet Singh told CBS2.
Gulzar Singh, who required stitches after being attacked, told CBS2's Thalia Perez through a translator that he suffers from anxiety.
"He said that he's still scared to leave his house and, you know, you never know when he's gonna get attacked again," the translator said.