RITU JHA-
The daughter of the 61-year-old Sikh man who was badly injured after a white man allegedly rammed his vehicle into the victim and told him to “go back to your country” says the aftermath of the attack has been difficult and that she cannot even visit her father because of the coronavirus pandemic.
She told indica over the phone, when asked how her father, Lakhwant Singh, is doing that he is still in a rehabilitation medical center. When asked if he can walk now, she said, “He can’t even stand yet.”
“It’s hard and tough,” she said. Singh’s wife, Manjit Kaur, sounded a little tired when she spoke with indica on June 15, “My daughter had come to help me.” There is too much work and she has to take care of the shop, Two Angels Liquors in Lakewood, Colorado, that Singh and his wife own.
When Singh’s daughter was asked her thoughts about this case as a hate crime, she said she understands it’s hard to prove it’s a hate crime.
“Even if I hit somebody on purpose I can say it was an accident. It’s hard to prove it was intentional,” the daughter said and added she was home when her mom called about dad. “I was in shock.”
In the gruesome incident on April 29 around 11 p.m. at the Two Angels Liquors, Singh suffered a broken left arm, broken ribs, internal bleeding, a possible clavicle fracture, spinal fracture, and has staples in his head.
Singh was only recently transferred to a rehabilitation facility after a month in the hospital.
The Jefferson County Colorado District Attorney’s Office has issued an update in the case, saying investigators have not ruled out the possibility that race played a role in the attack or that the incident was not a hate crime.
“Our investigation into this case is ongoing,” Pam Russell, spokesperson for the district attorney’s office, told indica. “We take this case very seriously and will do everything we can to bring justice for Mr. Singh.
Eric Breeman, 36, has been arrested and faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, leaving the scene of the accident with serious bodily injury, and violation of the bail bond conditions.
Breeman was on bond in another felony case. Russell told indica previously.
The Sikh Coalition, the nation’s largest Sikh civil rights organization, has said that the attacker shouted profanity at Singh and his wife, Manjit Kaur, and repeatedly told the couple to “go back to your country”.
The Sikh Coalition, the nation’s largest Sikh civil rights organization, has said that the attacker shouted profanity at Singh and his wife and repeatedly told the couple to “go back to your country.”
Breeman’s bond was set at $50,000, and he is still in custody.
Kaur, who along with her husband runs the liquor shop, explaining what happened on April 29, said Breeman first pushed over items that were on the countertop. Her husband then followed the man to the parking lot.
There was a brief altercation and the suspect got into his vehicle and backed out of the parking space, she said. The suspect almost hit Kaur with his vehicle when backing up, but she was able to get out of the way. Singh started running in an attempt to avoid being hit by the vehicle. The suspect accelerated into Singh and struck him with the front passenger side of the vehicle, Singh’s wife said.
According to the police report, the suspect was arrested the same night and told the officers he was upset after he watched “tranny porn” before coming to the store. He said knocked over some merchandise in the store because he was upset. He said he left the store and was followed by the shop owner who “looked like an older Arab”. He said the male was threatening him with a large rock and Breeman told the male to call the police.
Breeman denied threatening Singh. He said he then got into his car and slowly backed up. He then attempted to leave the parking lot when the male jumped in front of his car, and he felt a bump. He acknowledged he hit the man with his car but was not sure how injured the man was, he told police.
During the interview, the suspect, who was out on bond in another felony case, admitted to officers he was drunk and knew that it was in violation of his previous bond conditions. He was also wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the incident.
According to the Sikh coalition: “Subsequent to his arrest, Breeman referred to Mr. Singh as an ‘older Arab’. Due to the significant injuries inflicted on Mr. Singh and his inability to be interviewed immediately after his attack, the investigation into appropriate charges, including a hate crime charge under Colorado’s bias-motivated crime statute, is ongoing.”
