Placer County men arrested in possible hate crime assault of tree trimmer
PHOTOS: Placer County Sheriff’s Office
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two men suspected of assault with a deadly weapon with a hate crime enhancement.
53-year-old Roger A. Lillie and 25-year-old Roger R. Lillie are accused of attacking a tree trimmer in Colfax on Saturday, February 29.
Surveillance video from the tree trimmer’s truck shows the two men pull over on Canyon Way, get out of their truck, and walk off-screen. About a minute later, both men re-appear — one of them is shown throwing a tree pruner into the ditch — before getting into the truck and driving off.
Deputies say they’ve began investigating the incident as a possible hate crime due to alleged racist insults used during the attack, as well as the lack of any apparent connection between the two men and the victim.
The Sheriff’s Office began circulating the video on social media and the resulting tips led to the identification and arrest of the two suspects.
Both face charges of assault with a deadly weapon, hate crime, and conspiracy, but have since bailed out of custody.
