The rage-fueled driver who allegedly called a Sikh man a terrorist moments before mowing him down in a Queens street last month is in custody, cops said Tuesday.
Joseph Caleca, 55, allegedly yelled “You motherf—ing Bin Laden, go back to your country!” at 29-year-old Sandeep Singh before plowing into the victim with his GMC pick-up truck on 99th Street near 101st Avenue in Richmond Hill, according to police.
Authorities said the hate-filled hothead leveled Singh at around midnight, July 30, after the two exchanged words because the victim’s open car door was blocking the street.
Caleca, of Setauket, Long Island, allegedly dragged Singh with his truck for 30 feet before speeding off, according to cops.
Singh was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in serious but stable condition with abdominal and back injuries.
“I was attacked because I am a Sikh, and because I look like a Sikh,” Singh, who is originally from India, said in a statement released from the hospital. “We need to create a world without hate.”
Caleca was apprehended Monday and faces charges of attempted murder and felony assault, both as hate crimes.