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Cops Arrest Driver Who Allegedly Ran Over Sikh Man While Yelling Racist Insults
By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Aug 19, 2014
Modified Aug 20, 2014
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NYPD
By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Aug 19, 2014
Modified Aug 20, 2014
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The truck driver who allegedly told a Sikh man in Queens to "go back to your country" shortly before running the man over is now in custody, almost three weeks after the incident.
55-year-old Joseph Caleca was apprehended by the NYPD on Monday and now faces attempted murder and felony assault charges, with both being classified as hate crimes. Caleca, who was driving his truck through the Richmond Hill area of Queens at the time of the incident, allegedly told the victim, 30-year-old Sandeep Singh, to "Go back to your country, Bin Laden," because he felt Singh and a group of friends were not crossing the street fast enough. While one of his friends called the NYPD, Singh tried to stop the driver from moving his truck, but the driver instead hit the gas and ran Singh over, dragging him more than 30 feet.
Caleca, of Setauket, Long Island, fled the scene, and allegedly evaded arrest while relatives of Singh began gathering evidence of the crime, a step the NYPD initially refused to take. Singh's brother, Navdeep Singh, told the Times Ledger that he had to collect surveillance footage from nearby bodegas and bring them to the 102 Precinct himself, because the NYPD hadn't bothered to do so.
Singh required twenty stitches and stomach surgery as a result of the collision.
Tagged
hate crime
hit and run
nypd
sikh
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Max Rivlin-Nadler has been a contributor to Gothamist since 2013. He has also reported for the New York Times, NPR, and The Intercept. His years-long investigation into New York City's arcane civil forfeiture laws led to a series of reforms which altered a practice that had been taking millions from poor communities for decades. Recently, he brought back a surfing habit from a few years on the west coast, and would love to see you all out in the Rockaways.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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