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Twin Cities Muslim leaders are calling for hate crime charges after a Somali-American man was allegedly attacked in a Minneapolis suburb last week. 

Forty-nine-year-old Haarun Galbayte, of Eden Prairie, said on Oct. 27, he made a morning food delivery at a home in Excelsior and returned to his car. As he was about to drive away, a man came out, punched him several times in the head while yelling at him to go back to his country.

Galbayte spoke to reporters alongside Council on American-Islamic Relations executive director Jaylani Hussein, who said the suspect should face assault charges with a bias enhancement.

"We are glad that he was arrested, but we are looking forward to charges to be appropriate, and most importantly, because this was a bias and a hate crime, for the bias enhancement to be appropriated and for this matter to be taken seriously," Hussein said.

President's Minneapolis visit gets no welcome from Minnesota Somalis

Galbayte said a bystander stopped to help him and provided a statement to South Lake Minnetonka police.

Officers arrested a 54-year-old man and booked him into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor fifth-degree assault, the police department said in a statement.

The man had not been charged as of Thursday afternoon.

Crime, Law and Justice

Minnesota News

Twin Cities News

Matt Sepic

Author

Twin Cities Muslim leaders are calling for hate crime charges after they say a Somali-American man was attacked in a Minneapolis suburb last week. 

Muslim group pushes hate crime probe of alleged attack on Somali-American man

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