New York man accused of allegedly luring, attacking Hispanic men at abandoned sites
By Stacey Sager
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FARMINGVILLE, Suffolk County (WABC) — A Long Island man was indicted on hate crime charges for allegedly luring and assaulting Hispanic men, and police are searching for additional potential victims.
Christopher Cella, 19, is accused of luring the men to abandoned construction sites in Farmingville with the promise of work, but then attacking them.
The victims, all Hispanic men between the ages of 47 to 60, were able to escape with minor injuries.
Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini announced the indictment in Riverhead on Tuesday.
Cella is accused of picking up three separate day laborers, and he allegedly told authorities he “hated illegal Spanish people.”
In court, prosecutors said he tried to forcibly kiss his first victim, a 52-year-old man from Holbrook, then assaulted him in a chokehold on September 17.
Authorities say the then went home, switched cars, and allegedly picked up his second victim, a 60-year old man from Medford.
Cella allegedly strangled that man until he was unconscious.
The third victim, a 47-year-old man from Brentwood, was picked up on September 18, and prosecutors say he only escaped after throwing Cella’s speeding car into park.
Cella then allegedly tried to run him over.
Cella is charged with second-degree strangulation as a hate crime, aggravated harassment, criminal obstruction of breathing, unlawful imprisonment as a hate crime, and reckless endangerment as a hate crime.
He is being held on $75,000 cash/$500,000 bond.
His parents and defense attorney Richard Toscani said h suffers from substance abuse and addiction, but also mental illness.
The judge ordered psychiatric evaluation as well.
The investigation is continuing.
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