A Southeast Queens man was sentenced to a decade in prison for a hate crime for punching out a Sikh man following a 2023 fender bender in Kew Gardens. The victim suffered a head injury and died five days later.
Gilbert Augustin, 32, of 111th Avenue in Jamaica, pleaded guilty on June 2 to assault as a hate crime after he derided 66-year-old Jasmer Singh as “turban man” and repeatedly punched him, knocking him to the ground where his head struck the pavement.
“Giberto Augustin and Jasmer Singh had a minor collision near the Van Wyck Expressway,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “Instead of calmly exchanging information, Augustin responded with hateful rage, derided the victim because of his Sikh religion, and punched Singh three times.”
According to the charges, on October 19, 2023, at approximately 11:50 a.m., Augustin was behind the wheel of a black Ford Mustang heading south near the Van Wyck Expressway in Kew Gardens when he was struck from behind by a blue Toyota driven by Singh. The front passenger side bumper of Singh’s vehicle hit the rear driver’s side of Augustin’s vehicle
After the collision, Singh and Augustin stopped in front of 87-34 Van Wyck Expressway to inspect their cars. The men got into a heated argument, and Augustin said, “No police, no police,” and repeatedly called Singh “turban man.”
Singh was wearing a turban as part of his Sikh religious practice. The victim returned to his car, and Augustin reached into the vehicle and grabbed Singh’s cell phone. At that time, Singh exited his car and recovered the phone from Augustin. As Singh was returning to his vehicle, Agustin punched him three times in the head and face. Singh fell to the roadway and hit the back of his head on the pavement.
Police from the 102nd Precinct responded to a 911 call of a vehicle collision, and they found Singh on the roadway unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the scene and rushed Singh to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition. Singh suffered a brain injury and died the following day.
After striking Singh, Augustin left the scene of the incident. He was arrested the following day after an NYPD officer spotted him in his damaged vehicle on 111th Avenue in Jamaica. A review of DMV records showed his driver’s license was suspended, and he did not produce proof of insurance.
“Tragically, the 66-year-old victim died at the hospital the next day,” Katz said.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder sentenced Augustin on Wednesday to 10 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision.
“We hope that today’s sentence provides a measure of solace to Mr. Singh’s countless family members and friends and sends a clear message that we will not tolerate hate in Queens, the most diverse place in the world,” Katz said.
