(Image source from: Twitter)

A Sikh man in Keyes in California was allegedly assaulted by two white men and subsequently spray-painting a racist message on his pickup truck, according to The Modesto Bee.

He was allegedly hit multiple times by the two men who screamed, "You're not welcome here!" and "Go back to your country!". The authorities called the assault a "heinous" hate crime.

A picture was shared on Facebook by an acquaintance of the victim of the spay-printed car describing the assault. "Beaten with a rod on his head and they also threw dirt in his eyes…Fortunately, he is okay physically due to his turban protecting his head…," the Facebook post read. On his car, a racist message was spray-painted in large black letters with the words "Go back to your country" alongside an image of a Celtic cross, one of the most usually used symbols by white supremacists.

The report added that incident took place earlier this week near the intersection of Keyes and Foote roads, along the rural stretch and it is being investigated as a hate crime.

"This is a random despicable criminal act against a member of the Sikh community," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said, reported The Modesto Bee. Sheriff Sgt. Tom Letras said the victim didn't know the two men. "This is a heinous crime and we are aggressively investigating it," Letras said.

By Sowmya Sangam