'Highly Disturbing' LI Man 'Lured Hispanic Men, Attacked Them: DA

SELDEN, NY — A Long Island man allegedly targeted Hispanic men because of their ethnicity and lured them under false pretenses before carrying out violent attacks that led him to being charged under New York’s Hate Crimes Law, Suffolk District Attorney Tim Sini said.

"This is a highly disturbing case, and my Office’s Hate Crimes Task Force will work in collaboration with the [Suffolk County Police Department] Hate Crimes Unit to investigate and prosecute these incidents thoroughly," he added.

Christopher Cella, 19, of Selden, drove near La Placita in Farmingville, and picked up a 52-year-old Holbrook man at about 8:15 a.m. Friday, and brought him to “an abandoned construction site” on Blue Point Road in Farmingville, where he attacked him, police said.

Cella then left the site and drove near 7-Eleven in Farmingville and picked up a 60-year-old Medford man just after 9 a.m., police said, adding, that he brought him to the Blue Ridge Condominium Complex in Medford where he “attacked and choked him before the man was able to escape.”

At about 8 a.m. the next morning, Cella went back to 7-Eleven and picked up a third man, this time a 47-year-old Brentwood resident, and attempted to bring him to an unknown location, but “the man became suspicious and was able to get out of the vehicle,” police said.

Hate Crimes Unit detectives, in coordination with the 6th Squad detectives and Crime Section officers, arrested Cella “without incident at his home” at about 10:15 a.m. on Sunday. He was charged with two counts of second-degree unlawful imprisonment and one count of first-degree reckless endangerment under the Hate Crimes Law, both felonies.

He was additionally charged with two counts of second-degree aggravated harassment and two counts of criminal obstruction of breathing, which are both misdemeanors.

Police did not release any further information about the attacks.

Cella pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip on Monday, and was released with a Global Positioning System monitor. He is due back in court on Friday.

He is being represented by an attorney from the Legal Aid Society, which does not comment on cases.

The investigation is ongoing, Sini's office said. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of Cella is asked to contact Hate Crimes Unit detectives at 631-852-6553.