Ivestigation into postal carrier beating

Investigators said they are examining whether the beating of a postal carrier on Wednesday afternoon was racially motivated. According to police, 21-year-old Shane Collins of Modesto walked up to mail carrier Manjit Singh and hit him repeatedly. "None of his mail was stolen. It was out of the blue," Sgt. Patrick Sullivan said. Singh was taken to a Modesto hospital for treatment of facial cuts and a possible broken nose, Sullivan said. Investigators are examining whether the beating was race-driven, as the suspect is a known member of a white supremacist gang, and the postal carrier is of Asian Indian decent. Ceres investigators have forwarded their information to the U.S. attorney’s office in Fresno; Collins may be charged federally because the assault was on a government employee. [more]