Hmong American News Radio

By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Published: 3/7/2011  2:27 AM
Last Modified: 3/7/2011  7:56 AM

A man received a brutal beating Tuesday that left him in the hospital with shattered bones after he accidentally ran over a dog in Vinita, his daughter said.

Neng Yang was driving to a family farm when he ran over a dog and was confronted by the owner.

The last thing he remembered was the owner yelling at him and hitting him in the head, said Yang's daughter Pashia Yang.

Yang is in the hospital and was only able to communicate well about the incident on Thursday, she said.

Yang told his daughter that he remembered blacking out then coming to covered in blood and with his hands behind his head.

The man who allegedly beat him then forced Yang to shake his hand, let him leave and told him not to do anything stupid, Yang's daughter said.

He suffered a dislocated jaw, a shattered nose, broken ribs and severe damage to a cheek, his daughter said.

Stephen Vang, public relations liaison for Hmong American Association of Oklahoma, said he thought the beating approached a hate crime because of the severity of the attack on Yang, who is Hmong.

Vang said although there weren't obvious signs indicative of a hate crime, if Yang wasn't Hmong, he wouldn't have been subjected to that much brutality.

Craig County Sheriff's Department Undersheriff B.J. Floyd confirmed officers were investigating but would not comment until the investigation was complete.

Floyd indicated that assault charges were possible but could not speculate until the investigation was handed over to the Craig County District Attorney's Office.

The Yang family and Vang are strongly seeking justice and are urging authorities to arrest the attacker as soon as possible.

Pashia Yang said "My family and I have high hopes that although this attacker is not in custody, the Craig County Sheriff's Department and (District Attorney's) office will seek justice for my father."

Officials familiar with the investigation urged that the case was being treated like any other case and will be processed as soon as possible.