Sikh man, 70, brutally attacked with golf club in Los Angeles; police make one arrest

Bo Richard Vitagliano, 44, has been arrested for attacking Harpal Singh with a golf club in North Hollywood.

Updated on: Aug 13, 2025, 07:24:13 IST

By Sanya Jain

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has arrested one person in connection with the brutal attack on an elderly Sikh man outside a gurdwara in the city. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said that the suspect, a homeless man, attacked 70-year-old Harpal Singh in North Hollywood.

Harpal Singh, 70, was left beaten and bloodied outside a gurdwara in North Hollywood

Police used surveillance camera footage to track down Bo Richard Vitagliano, 44, according to a CBS News report.

What happened to Harpal Singh?

Harpal Singh, 70, was brutally beaten with a golf club last Monday. He had been out on a walk when the attack occurred near the Sikh Gurdwara of LA, in the area of Lankershim Boulevard and Saticoy Street.

Police say the attack started with an argument between Singh and Vitagliano.

"Witnesses advised that they did not see how the altercation began, but heard a loud commotion, then witnessed two men swinging metal objects at each other," police said in a news release. "Both individuals were struck. The suspect further assaulted the victim, while he was reportedly on the ground. Witnesses intervened by yelling at the suspect, at which time he rode away on his bicycle."

(Also read: Sikh man ‘bludgeoned’ with golf club in North Hollywood, now in coma; graphic videos emerge)

Who is Bo Richard Vitagliano? How was he arrested?

The LAPD chief described Vitagliano as an unhoused man with an extensive criminal record. He has been charged in the past for assault with a deadly weapon, narcotics and possession of several weapons.

He was arrested after officers spotted him with his bicycle on Lankershim Boulevard and Arminta Street, as per a report in abc7.com. Officers identified him thanks to a picture taken by surveillance cameras.

What is the victim’s condition?

Harpal Singh remains in a critical condition, with internal bleeding to the brain. In the last week, he has undergone three surgeries for broken facial bones and bleeding on the brain.

Police are not treating the attack as a hate crime.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sanya Jain
Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

Home/Trending/Us/Sikh Man, 70, Brutally Attacked With Golf Club In Los Angeles; Police Make One Arrest