CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Men Beat, Spit on Elderly Sikh Man At Manteca Park
MANTECA (CBS13) — Many community members in Manteca are scared after an elderly Sikh man with disabilities was brutally attacked in a neighborhood park just blocks away from his home.
Sahib Singh Natt, 70, is recovering after he was attacked by two boys while taking his regular stroll around Greystone Park.
The entire incident was caught from a neighbor's surveillance camera. It shows one of the suspects kicking Natt repeatedly to the ground after loved ones say the men demanded money.
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"They had a hoodie on, they were teenagers or maybe early 20s. One was dark-skinned and the other, a little bit lighter skin. They also showed him a gun," said Parminder Singh Sahi, a family friend.
After the attack, the attackers left, then one of them came back. The video shows him kicking the victim three times before spitting on him.
"First they want money, and after that, when they spit then we think it's because of our religion," said Manjit Singh Virk, the victim's son-in-law.
Family members are relieved the 70-year-old made it out alive. Neighbors, however, are fired up. They have been passing out flyers to notify people to the potential danger in their neighborhood.
"I'm not sure if it was for a robbery situation or if it was a hate crime situation. This is not our neighborhood, how this is. We don't normally have this kind of situation," said Michele Lazaro, a neighbor.
The incident comes after another Sikh man in the Keyes area was the target of a hate crime.
Members of the Sikh community, along with neighbors, are gathering at the park to talk about the incident. They are being joined by city leaders and police.
Manteca police are investigating the matter as an attempted robbery. There is no indication the assault was a hate crime, but family members disagree.