The son of a police chief in a Californian city is among two teenagers arrested and charged with attempted robbery and abuse in the brutal attack on a 71-year-old Sikh man this week.
The investigators are trying to determine if the attack was a hate crime.
The police arrested 18-year-old Tyrone McAllister and a 16-year-old male juvenile on Wednesday for the attack on Sahib Singh Natt on the side of a road early morning on August 6 in Manteca.
Tyrone, the son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister, and the juvenile have been charged with attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.
The Manteca Police Department said it received numerous tips which assisted in the identification of the suspects.
Investigations Supervisor sergeant Miller said the public assistance in providing information with this case was instrumental in identifying the suspects and helped in making a quick arrest.
Meanwhile, Tyrone McAllister's father posted a statement on the Facebook page of the Union City Police department saying he is "completely disgusted" to find out that one of the suspects in this "horrific crime" is his son.
He said his son has been "estranged" from his family and home for several months now.
My fellow Union City Community Members:
It is not that often that I find myself sharing with the general public issues...
Posted by Union City Police Department on Wednesday, 8 August 2018
"Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now. Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values," Darryl McAllister said in the statement.
He said it is difficult for his family to comprehend how one of his three kids, raised with the same values and character, wandered so far astray.
"In the eyes of the public, no matter the irrelevance to the incident, the fact remains that "the father of the perpetrator of this despicable crime is a police chief, period", he said.
Disturbing footage from a surveillance camera showed Mr Natt walking alone on the side of a road early morning on August 6 when two men, wearing hoodies, walking from the opposite direction approached him.
Mr Natt stopped on seeing the men and the duo were seen talking to him. He then walked past them but they continued to follow and talk to him.
After a brief argument, one of the men, who was wearing a black hoodie, suddenly kicked Mr Natt in the stomach and the elderly man fell down on the road, with his turban coming off.
He tried to get up and defend himself but the man again kicked him in the stomach. Mr Natt fell on the road as the man who attacked him came close to him and appeared to touch his face and spit on him. They then walked away as Mr Natt was lying on the road.
A few seconds later the man in the black hoodie ran back and viciously kicked Mr Natt thrice near his head as he lay on the street. He then started leaving again, paused, turned around and then spat at Mr Natt.
The police chief said his "stomach has been churning" from the moment he learned the news of the attack on Mr Natt and that his son was involved.
He also said his son began to lose his way a couple years ago, while he was a juvenile, running away and getting involved in a bad crowd.
"He got into trouble for some theft-related crimes and ended up spending several months in juvenile hall," the senior McAllister said, adding that his son was again arrested for a theft-related incident and he ended up spending another three months in adult jail as a result.
"Since being released he has been wayward and has not returned to our family home for several months," he said.
The police chief said he and his wife worked with Manteca Police to help them track their son down and arrest him.
The attack on Mr Natt is the second on a Sikh man in about a week in California.
On July 31, 50-year-old Surjit Malhi was attacked while putting up campaign signs in support of incumbent Republican Congressman Jeff Denham and other local Republican candidates.
While beating Mr Malhi, the attackers yelled "Go back to your country!" and spray painted the same message, along with hate symbols, on his truck.
Sikh advocacy group The Sikh Coalition has urged members of the community to remain vigilant and report cases of bias, bigotry and backlash in the wake of the attacks.
"We are deeply troubled by these two recent attacks and strongly encourage increased vigilance nationwide as we work to support the Central Valley, CA community during this difficult time," Sikh Coalition legal director Amrith Kaur said.
"If you or someone you know has experienced a potential hate crime, please reach out to our team. We have a seasoned team of lawyers who can provide free legal advice and support you through the process to protect your rights," she added.
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) also condemned the attack on Mr Natt.
"We stand in solidarity with the Sikh community against the bigotry and racism that fuels hate crimes like this one nationwide. These kinds of incidents are becoming increasingly common under the Trump administration and are direct attacks on religious liberty in the United States," CAIR-Sacramento Valley's executive director Basim Elkarra said.
In the past, CAIR had stood in solidarity with communities of various faiths and backgrounds that are subject to similar hate crimes.
