Police have arrested a 21-year-old man in the stabbing death of a Sikh grandfather in California last week.
Anthony Kreiter-Rhoads, of Tracy, was charged with homicide on Saturday in the Aug. 25 killing of Parmjit Singh, a 64-year-old Indian immigrant who lived in the same city, local police reported.
Tracy police said they had no evidence suggesting Singh’s death was a hate crime.
“We do not have any more information to release as to what the motive was in the case,” Lieutenant Trevin Freitas told HuffPost on Tuesday. “It is a major focus of the investigation.”
The killing was the seventh attack on an elderly, turban-wearing Sikh man since 2011 in the state’s Central Valley and Northern California region, according to The Sikh Coalition, a national advocacy group.
“In light of this arrest, we expect that local law enforcement will continue to investigate this case thoroughly, including the possibility that bias was a motivating factor in this tragic murder,” Amrith Kaur, the group’s legal director, said in a statement.
Singh was attacked while taking his evening walk near Gretchen Talley Park. He was left bleeding on the street and was later pronounced dead.
Police released security footage they said shows Kreiter-Rhoads running through the neighborhood on the night of the slaying, Freitas confirmed to HuffPost.
Police also released security footage of Singh walking in his neighborhood just before he was attacked.
Detectives searched Kreiter-Rhoads’ residence when he was arrested, but didn’t reveal what they discovered. Kreiter-Rhoads is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, CBS Sacramento reported.
The homicide has stunned members of the local gurdwara, or Sikh temple, where Singh was an active member. Hundreds gathered last week at a community vigil, where neighbors remembered Singh as a “ray of sunshine,” ABC10 reported.
Singh’s family had offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, which police said was aided through donations from community members.
Community tips led to Kreiter-Rhoads’ arrest, according to NBC affiliate KCRA.
Harnek Singh Kang, the victim’s son-in-law, said he is grateful for the support of neighbors. He said the arrest is a step toward healing.
“There is some peace, yes,” Kang said. “But eventually, it’s going to heal a little later.”
This article has been updated with comment from Lieutenant Trevin Freitas.
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