Two Southeast Texas men have been sentenced to prison in California for assault and a hate crime stemming from an incident in which a Sikh man was beaten.
Chase Byron Little, 31, of Beaumont and Colton Tye LeBlanc, 25, of Winnie, both admitted to felony assault with a hate crime enhancement in connection with an attack on a Sikh man in September 2016 according to before being sentenced Thursday Contra Costa County prosecutor Simon O'Connell.
The pair will serve their time in a California State Prison.
Maan Singh Khalsa, an observer of the Sikh faith who wears a turban, was attacked by Little and LeBlanc as he sat in his car after he objected to the two throwing full beer cans at him the prosecutor told 12News.
The two ran up to Khalsa and beat him through the window of his car tearing his turban off and then cutting off his unshorn hair, a sacred article of his faith, with a knife the prosecutor said.
They also stabbed him in the hand so badly that one his fingers needed to be amputated and one of his eyes was swollen shut from the beating the East bay Times reported.
Khalsa made a a victim impact statement before the court in which he urged communities to embrace the differences that make up Americans according to the prosecutor.
Little and LeBlanc made eye contact with Khalsa during the statement but did not show any reaction he said.
