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A Richmond man could face hate crime and felony battery charges in connection with an attack on a man of Middle Eastern descent in El Cerrito Thursday afternoon, police said.
Police responded to a report of an assault at the intersection of San Pablo and Potrero avenues about 3 p.m. Thursday. Officers learned the suspect, 40-year-old Nicholas Andre Kimmons, approached the victim, a 69-year-old man, and asked for a cigarette.
“When the victim refused, the suspect made race-based comments before punching him in the head. The victim fell to the ground and lost consciousness,” police said. “A witness called the police.”