By Sadef Ali Kully
A grand jury indicted a Long Island man on hate crime charges for allegedly calling a Sikh man “Osama” and then intentionally ramming his pick-up truck into the victim and dragging his body along the street before fleeing the scene in Ozone Park in July, the Queens district attorney said.
“The defendant is accused of an unprovoked attack that allegedly began with the defendant driving by the victim and his friends and calling him a terrorist and ordering him to leave the country. After an exchange of words, the defendant allegedly struck the victim intentionally with his vehicle and dragged him along the street,” said DA Richard Brown.
Joseph Caleca, 55, of Setauket, L.I., was arraigned Wednesday before Acting Queens County Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron on a nine-count indictment. He was charged with attempted murder as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and leaving the scene without reporting the incident.
Brown said that according to the criminal charges, the victim, Sandeep Singh, 29, and three of his friends were standing at the intersection of 101st Avenue and 99th Street when a light-colored pick-up truck being driven by Caleca approached the group and he said, “Move your [expletive] ass.” You’re [expletive] slow, you [expletive] Osama. Go back to your country.”
Courts records said it is also alleged that Caleca then parked his truck and got out to confront Singh and his friends. According to the charges, Caleca returned to his vehicle and drove head-on into Singh, causing his body to be caught on the vehicle’s undercarriage, the records said. Caleca allegedly dragged Singh along the street until his body dislodged from the vehicle, at which point Caleca fled the scene, according to the papers.
Singh was taken to aQueens hospital where he received treatment for his injuries, which included surgery for internal bleeding and several staples to his mid-section.
Caleca, who was initially arrested in August 2014, was remanded on continuing bail and his next court date is April 22.
He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
