SAN FRANSISCO: A 68-year-old Sikh man was stabbed to death in California‘s Fresno city on January 1, prompting police to launch a hate crime probe into the city’s first homicide.

Gurcharan Singh Gill, an employee at local liquor store was stabbed to death on January 1. This happened at Shields Express Mart at 1107 W. Shields Avenue, just east of West Avenue at 3.30 pm.

While investigations are still going on, local community members feel Mr Gill was attacked due to his identity and skin colour, officer Casto said.

When officer of Fresno Police Department arrived at the scene they found an elderly man lying in the shop. Emergency medical team tried to provide first-aid but it was determined that Mr. Gill had already died.

The motive and cause of death are not known yet. The case is under investigation.

According to Fresno Police, this was the first homicide of the year.

Incidentally on December 28, another elderly Sikh man was brutally assaulted by two persons in Fresno. No arrests have been made in either cases.

The police have appealed to the local people to report if they find any leads to the incident.