hate crime at lake natoma

In California... 19-year-old Satendar Singh has been hospitalized and put on life support after an assault at Lake Natoma—a possible hate crime that witnesses believe was fueled by homophobia and racism: Attack leaves man dying. Satendar Singh was with friends when a group of men speaking Russian confronted them, unprovoked:

"They started passing the racial remarks, teasing us in our language, and calling us -- and calling especially Setean -- a lot of bad names," one friend said.

Witnesses say the group of men made disparaging remarks about Hindus and their music. They say of the men threw a cup of beer into the face of one of Singh's friends. Singh then stood up and asked why the men were confronting them, and witnesses say that is when of the Russian speaking men punched Singh.

"He stood up and that's when he got the blow," the friend said. "The guy just punched him, and he fell backwards."

Singh's head struck the cement surrounding the picnic table. He is on life support at Mercy San Juan Medical Center.

Singh, who is originally from Fiji, is not expected to survive. He was expected to be taken off life support late Tuesday night, pending a final test for brain activity. More here: Attack Investigated as Possible Hate Crime. That's racist!