robbery | American Turban

‘Evil clown’ escaped Sikh grandfather, but not police

February 17, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

You will recall the story about the Sikh grandfather who thwarted a robbery attempt of his family’s convenience store in Sacramento, California three weeks ago. Eighty-year-old Baldev Singh had a history of fighting crime: That wasn’t enough to scare 80-year-old Baldev Singh, a retired cop, when the robber hit the family’s convenience store last weekend. “Yes, I am a policeman in Punjabi [sic], India,” Singh said. The suspect popped off one shot, but it didn’t hit anyone. Looking down the […]

Categories: News Bits • Tags: Baldev Singh, California, Convenience store, KISS Bandit, robbery, Sacramento

Cab driver’s attackers admit to hate crime

March 7, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Back in November, Harbhajan Singh, a 56-year-old cab driver in Sacramento, California, was attacked and beaten by two men who were later apprehended by the police. The men were charged with assault and hate crime offenses. Today, the two men pleaded guilty: 41-year-old Pedro Ramirez and 33-year-old Johnny Morales were in court Monday to enter the plea agreement and admit their guilt. In exchange, Morales will be sentenced to a year in jail, and Ramirez will get 13 years. On the […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Johnny Morales, Pedro Antonio Ramirez, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

December 7, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

There have been a few updates over the past few days on this story: California Assemblywoman Marika Yamada out of West Sacramento has been supportive since Harbhajan Singh’s attack. Last Sunday, she addressed Sikhs at the Sacramento Sikh Temple: “More than 60 years ago, the Japanese were being discriminated against. The Chinese were wearing buttons that read, ‘I am Chinese’ so they wouldn’t be mistaken as Japanese,” said Yamada. “After September 11th, we’re seeing a similar situation with Sikhs and Muslims. […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Marika Yamada, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

December 2, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

No sooner did I write this that great news came through that two men have been arrested in the attack on Harbhajan Singh, a cab driver in Sacramento: …West Sacramento Police Lt. Tod Sockman announced the 41-year-old suspect [Pedro Antonio Ramirez] along with 33-year-old Johnny Morales turned themselves in to police. …The suspects were arrested on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon and commission of a hate crime. Both men are now in Yolo County Jail. Let us […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Johnny Morales, Pedro Antonio Ramirez, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

December 2, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

West Sacramento Police have named a suspect in the attack of Sacramento cab driver Harbhajan Singh: Lt. Tod Sockman said detectives and Sacramento police SWAT officers served arrest and search warrants at the Sacramento, Binghampton Drive residence of 41-year-old Pedro Antonio Ramirez Thursday morning. Sockman said Ramirez is wanted for assault with a deadly weapon and commission of a hate crime in the attack on Herbhejan Singh. However, Ramirez is still at large and may be hiding from police: The […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, FBI, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Mariko Yamada, Pedro Antonio Ramirez, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

December 1, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

“Attacks on innocent individuals are always inexcusable, but the use of racial, ethnic and religious slurs are especially heinous and have no place in our society,” said SALDEF Associate Executive Director Jasjit Singh. “We call upon the West Sacramento Police Department and the FBI to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted and that hate crimes charges are brought against any culprits that are found.” — The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) is also calling for the investigation […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, FBI, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, robbery, Sacramento, SALDEF, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

November 30, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The Anti-Defamation League, an organization that combats anti-Semitism, is also calling for the investigation of the attack on cab driver Harbhajan Singh as a hate crime: This brutal incident is deplorable. People of all faiths should be able to feel secure when expressing their religious beliefs. This hard working man was merely doing his job when he was apparently singled out because of his appearance. We are confident that law enforcement will do all it can to track down the […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: Anti-Defamation League, California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

November 30, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Despite already robbing him of the money he carried in his taxicab, Harbhajan Singh was continually attacked physically while his attackers called him “Osama Bin Laden”. Police are thus far only treating this as a robbery: Police said the assault and robbery appeared to be an isolated incident and, contrary to some media reports, it is not being investigated as a hate crime. It seems that as long as you attach the hate crime to another crime, you get a free pass on beating an innocent man […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Council on American-Islamic Relations, FBI, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked

November 29, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Harbhajan Singh, a 56-year old cab driver in Sacramento, California, was severely beaten on the job by passengers in his taxi over the weekend. Two male passengers assaulted Singh, took his money, and then continued with their assault: …the two men exploded into violence. One shouted expletives and called him Osama Bin Laden. If this was a robbery, the perpetrators would have made their getaway after violently taking his money. Instead, the men remained on the scene and continued to attack […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab