Death Penalty Wanted In Sikh Shooting

A prosecutor plans to seek the death penalty for a man accused of killing an Indian immigrant after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Frank Roque, 42, is accused of shooting Balbir Singh Sodhi as he stood outside his Mesa convenience store Sept. 15. Sodhi wore a turban and a beard as part of his Sikh faith.

Roque is quoted in police reports as saying "all Arabs had to be shot" and he wanted to "slit some Iranians' throats."

Maricopa County Attorney Richard Romley said he decided to seek the death penalty after conferring with Sodhi's family and the government of India, the East Valley Tribune reported Wednesday.

Authorities also allege that Roque shot at a convenience store owned by a man from Lebanon and at his own former home, now occupied by a family from Afghanistan.

Arizona's hate-crime law cannot be used as a reason for seeking the death penalty. Instead, the state must prove at least one of 10 aggravating circumstances; Romley wouldn't say which one he will cite.

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