Police Release Vehicle Description in Friday's Shooting

In the wake of Friday's fatal shooting of an elderly Indian man in Elk Grove, the police have released a suspect vehicle description. Reward funds are also piling up as groups beg the public for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

“At present, we have no evidence to indicate there was a hate or bias motivation for this crime; however the obvious Sikh appearance of the men, including the traditional Dastar headwear and lack of any other apparent motive, increasingly raise that possibility,” Elk Grove Police Chief Robert Lehner said in a statement Saturday.

The deceased man–identified as Surinder Singh, 65–was found lying on the sidewalk on East Stockton Boulevard  just south of Geneva Pointe Drive near the Park-n-Ride around 4:30 p.m. Friday. His friend, 78-year-old Gurmej Atwal, was also shot and remained in critical condition Monday morning, according to the police release. They were apparently enjoying an afternoon walk and wore Sikh turbans and had beards, in accordance with their faith.

So far no arrests have been made, but police on Sunday evening released a description of the suspect vehicle. Based on witness statements, it's described as a tan or light brown 1999 to 2003 Ford F150 pickup truck. The department has also notified the local FBI office, in case the murder turns out to be motivated by hate.

“We will diligently investigate that possibility, and, should it be determined that there was a hate motivation, we spare no effort to identify the perpetrator and see that he, she or they are brought to justice,” Lehner said in the release. “On a related note, we have made preliminary notification to the local FBI office because hate-motivated crimes are a violation of federal as well as state law.”

Due to the nature of the crime, police are asking the public to contribute any related information.

“Anyone who may have been a witness either to the incident itself or some other, possibly related incident or behavior, is urged to call us,” Lehner stated. “Even if it turns out to be unrelated, we would much rather have had the opportunity to look into something than to miss a possible connection.”

Elk Grove Police spokesman Officer Chris Trim said Monday the police haven't determined whether the murder was committed by someone on foot or in a vehicle. “There is no information whether this was a drive-by,” he said. “We're looking for a vehicle associated with it, but can't say whether it was a drive-by.”

Trim, who was attending a press conference held at the Sikh Temple in West Sacramento Monday morning, again pleaded for the public's help.

He asked anyone with information phone the Elk Grove Police Communication Center at 916-714-5115 or Crime Alert at 916-443-HELP. Those who phone Crime Alert can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Tips can also be sent via text message by entering CRIMES on a cell phone, followed by Tip732 and the message.

The Sacramento Sikh American Community, along with the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, announced Monday a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has also offered a $5,000 reward for information related to the attacks.

“These attacks on two innocent and elderly individuals are utterly inexcusable,” Kavneet Singh, managing director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said in a press release. “We call upon the Elk Grove Police Department and the FBI to ensure a thorough investigation is conducted and that hate crime charges are fully investigated against any culprits that are found.”