Fresno hate-crime defendants plead not guilty to beating, running over elderly Sikh

A Fresno man and a teenager pleaded not guilty Friday in Fresno County Superior Court to felony assault charges and hate-crime allegations in connection with the beating and running over of a 68-year-old Sikh man in December.

Alexis Mendoza, 17, of Fresno, faces more serious charges because police contend he was driving when Amrik Singh Bal was run over. Bal survived the Dec. 26 attack on Shields Avenue west of Highway 99.

Mendoza pleaded not guilty to charges of assault likely to produce great bodily injury and assault with a deadly weapon, a vehicle, and denied the hate-crime allegation. If convicted, he faces up to 13 years in custody.

Daniel Coronel Wilson, 22, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault likely to produce great bodily injury and also denied the hate crime allegation. He faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.

Until their trial, Judge Brian Alvarez ordered Mendoza to be held on $115,000 bail at the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Center. Wilson is being held in the Fresno County Jail in lieu of $35,000 bail.

Mendoza, who turns 18 on May 15, is being tried as adult because of the seriousness of the charges.

Court records say Wilson had a previous conviction for possession of marijuana. Because juvenile records are confidential, it is not known if Mendoza has a previous criminal history.

And while Wilson is being represented by the Public Defender’s Office, Mendoza’s family has hired Fresno attorney Eddie Ruiz.

At a news conference Tuesday, Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the evidence indicates that both suspects targeted Bal solely because he was wearing traditional Sikh clothing and a turban. “I have no doubt in my mind that they intentionally struck him,” Dyer said.

Fresno police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation worked together to investigate the crime, which stirred outrage and fear within the Sikh community.

According to Dyer, Bal was standing on Shields Avenue between Blythe and Brawley avenues around 6:30 a.m. Dec. 26 waiting for a ride to work. He stood alone in the cold fog when a black Dodge Challenger stopped near him. The 17-year-old driver and Wilson exited the vehicle and began to beat Bal with their fists, Dyer said.

After the beating, the suspects got back in their car. Bal tried to run away, Dyer said, when he heard the muscle car accelerate toward him. He tried to avoid it, but the 17-year-old veered into Bal, authorities said, knocking him into the air briefly before he slammed into the pavement.

A private security video from a camera mounted on a nearby home captured the car hitting the victim.

Dyer said Bal remained unconscious on the roadway for six minutes until his friends, who were on their way to give him a ride to the farm he worked at, found him. He was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries and has since recovered.

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Fresno hate-crime defendants plead not guilty to beating, running over elderly Sikh."