A Punjabi Sikh truck driver in Wyoming said he was followed into a bathroom and stabbed repeatedly in an attack that has stoked fear across the greater South Asian community.In an interview with NPR, the driver Singh said he was shaken by the violent encounter from earlier this week, which he described as unprovoked.Singh asked to only be identified by his last name due to fear for his safety." I don't know why this happened," he said from his hospital room.
"I don't know why they attack[ed] me."Early Sunday morning, on his way to Pennsylvania, Singh said he parked at a rest area in south Wyoming to use the bathroom.He added that he had visited the rest stop many times in the past without any problems.As he walked inside, Singh said he sensed another man following behind him.
Moments later, Singh said the man began to beat him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him multiple times around his body, including his neck.The attacker then fled and Singh stepped outside before collapsing onto the pavement, he recalled.Singh said his life was saved by a Hispanic family, who just so happened to be at the rest area.
He said the family tried to attend to his wounds and seek medical help." They [gave] me the second life," he said.As of Wednesday night, Singh remained in the hospital, with multiple lacerations and injuries to his chest and rib, he added.Local law enforcement have since arrested Andrew Kris Bzdak, 45, and charged him with attempted first-degree murder, according to charging documents first reported by Cowboy State Daily.The documents did not state a motive, the outlet said.The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office and the local prosecutor did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.The attack in Wyoming comes amid a significant national rise in hateful rhetoric targeting South Asians, according to Stop AAPI Hate, a group that tracks hate acts against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.A recent example came last week when the De...