Source: The Arizona Republic
On March 16, 2002, The Arizona Republic featured the news brief "Flagpole a memorial to slain Mesa Sikh." It reported that "Family members and friends of a Sikh businessman slain in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks gathered Friday to erect an American flag at his Mesa service station, where he was shot. The flag, marking the six-month anniversary of the slaying of Balbir Singh Sodhi, 49, was erected in the lot of the Mesa Star Chevron Station, 7956 E. University Drive. Frank Roque, 42, of Mesa, is awaiting trial on murder and other charges in connection with a shooting rampage that targeted supposedly Arab-looking people in retaliation for the terrorist attacks. Sodhi's death garnered national and international condemnation."