You are reading

Teenager Charged With Hate Crime in Unprovoked Assault of 70-Year-Old Sikh Man in South Richmond Hill

Vernon Douglas (NYPD) and Nirmal Singh, 70, after he was punched in an unprovoked attack Sunday (Photo @JapneetSingh4NY)

April 15, 2022 By Christian Murray

A 19-year-old Brooklyn man was arrested on hate crime charges Thursday for allegedly punching a 70-year-old Sikh man in the face on a South Richmond Hill street earlier this month.

Vernon Douglas was taken into custody at his Watkins Street home in Brooklyn yesterday and arrested for assault, robbery and harassment—as hate crimes—for the unprovoked attack of Nirmal Singh.

Singh was punched in the face without a word being exchanged while walking in the vicinity of 95th Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard at around 6:45 a.m. on April 3, authorities said. He was wearing his turban and other Sikh attire at the time he was assaulted. He was on his way to the Sikh Cultural Society Temple when he was attacked.

Singh’s nose was broken and he suffered bruising to his face. He a was treated at Jamaica Hospital and released.

The attack stunned the south Asian community and has caused outrage among elected officials and local residents.

“The attack on the 70-year-old Sikh man in Richmond Hill over the weekend was a despicable display of hatred and cowardice,” said State Sen. Joseph Addabbo at the time.

Singh was in New York as a visitor from India as part of a trip to North America to visit his son and daughter who are both living in Canada.  He has since returned to India.

The attack, however, was not an isolated bias incident. On Tuesday, two Sikh men, aged 76 and 64, were beaten by two individuals near the same Lefferts Boulevard and 95th Avenue corner.

In this case, the perpetrators punched the victims and hit them with a wooden stick. They also tore off the men’s turbans and tugged on their beards, according to police. No arrests have been made pertaining to this attack. It is unclear whether Douglas is connected to this incident.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Masked man sought for eight commercial burglaries during an 11-day stretch in August: NYPD

The NYPD is still looking for a masked-up burglar who allegedly broke into eight commercial businesses and stole more than $14,000 in cash during an 11-day stretch in August primarily in Bayside and Flushing.

The suspect started his one-man crime spree in Little Neck in the confines of the 111th Precinct in Bayside when entered a business located at 254-11 Northern Blvd. through a rear window just before 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 6. Once inside, the burglar allegedly removed approximately $100 in cash from a drawer before running off.

Flushing man busted for pushing an 82-year-old woman off the platform at the Main Street 7 train station in Wednesday: NYPD

A Flushing man was arrested Monday and charged with attempted murder for allegedly shoving an 82-year-old woman onto the tracks at the Main Street 7 train station during a random attack on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Brandon Harris, 35, who lives directly across the street from the bustling subway station, was booked at the Transit District 20 headquarters at the Briarwood subway station in Jamaica on Monday.