A Queens man was arraigned on manslaughter and hate crime charges on Tuesday for a fatal attack on a Sikh man following a traffic accident, according to the district attorney’s office.
Gilbert Augustin, 30, is accused of beating 66-year-old Jasmer Singh to death after the minor Oct. 19 crash on the Van Wyck Expressway in Kew Gardens.
According to witness accounts cited by the DA’s office, Singh’s blue Toyota collided with Augustin’s black Ford Mustang at around noon. When both men pulled their vehicles over to assess the damage, Augustin allegedly got out of his car and began arguing with Singh, who remained seated inside his Toyota.
A witness heard Augustin say to Singh, “No police, no police,” and repeatedly refer to him as “turban man.” Augustin allegedly told Singh he would not allow him to go home.
A few moments later, Augustin reached into Singh’s car and grabbed Singh’s cellphone, according to witness testimony and surveillance footage cited by the DA. Singh got out of his car and followed Augustin, who appeared to be holding two phones. The pair appeared to argue, and Singh eventually recovered his phone.
As Singh was returning to his car, officials said Augustin punched him three times in the head and face, knocking Singh’s turban off and causing him to fall backward to the ground. Singh’s head hit the pavement, according to witnesses and video, and he was hospitalized with a brain injury.
Augustin then got into his car and drove away, the DA’s office said. Police tracked him down on 111th Avenue in Jamaica on Oct. 20– the same day Singh died of his injuries.
“This is a case of a fender bender immediately escalating to hateful language and then brutal, deadly violence,” said Queens DA Melinda Katz. “We will show in court that it was a rage inflamed by hate that led to this senseless tragedy. The defendant will have to answer to some very serious charges.”
Besides charges of manslaughter and assault as a hate crime, Augustin’s…
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