The 18-year-old estranged son of a Bay Area police chief and a 16-year-old boy are in custody following the brutal beating of a Sikh man in the Central Valley, according to KTLA sister station KTXL in Sacramento.
According to investigators, Tyrone McAllister and his teen accomplice kicked and spat on 71-year-old Sahib Singh Natt outside Greystone Park in Manteca, which sits between Stockton and Modesto, on Monday morning.
The second suspect’s name is not being released due to his age.
The attack was caught on a neighbor’s home surveillance, and Manteca police say McAllister’s family was integral in the case.
McAllister is the son of Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister, Manteca Police Sgt. Steve Schluer said.
“The relationship there has nothing to do with this case,” Schluer told KTXL. “The family is devastated by the actions of their estranged son, who they haven’t seen in several months.”
Darryl McAllister released a lengthy statement via the Union City Police Department’s Facebook page:
“Words can barely describe how embarrassed, dejected, and hurt my wife, daughters, and I feel right now,” he wrote. “Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values. Crime has never been an element of our household, our values, nor the character to which we hold ourselves.”
Investigators said the video led to many tips from the public, which helped identify the suspects.
The incident was “outlandish and uncalled for and it really brought together the community,” Schluer said.
Both suspects are facing charges of attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon, but they could also face hate crime charges.
The victim’s son in law Manjeet Singh Virk said he believes it is a hate crime.
Natt was attacked while on his daily morning walk around his neighborhood park. His family said he would no longer be taking the stroll around Greystone Park, and they are touched by the community’s support.
“You help us a lot and that’s really good for us, too,” Virk said.
In his statement, Chief McAllister said his son should be held accountable for his actions.