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Christopher Cella, age 20, of Medford, was sentenced to 3 ½ years behind bars Wednesday, Oct. 26, in Suffolk County Court after pleading guilty to multiple hate crimes, including strangulation and assault.
Cella, who was 19 at the time, was arrested in September 2021 after Suffolk County Police said he lured day laborers into his vehicle on three separate occasions before assaulting them.
First Attack
The first incident occurred on Sept. 17, 2021, in Farmingville. Prosecutors said Cella picked up a 52-year-old day laborer at a deli on Horseblock Road with promises of work.
Instead, he drove the victim to an abandoned construction site, had him get out of the car, and then attacked him - forcibly kissing him and putting him in a chokehold, prosecutors said.
The victim was eventually able to break free and escape.
Cella then drove home and switched vehicles, later telling police he did not want to be recognized because, “all those Spanish people know each other.”
Second Attack
Cella then went to a 7-Eleven on Ocean Avenue in Farmingville, where he lured a 60-year-old man into his vehicle by promising work, prosecutors said.
Cella drove to the Blue Ridge Condominium complex in Medford before locking the doors and strangling the victim. At one point, the victim struggled to breathe and lost vision and consciousness.
He was eventually able to flee to safety after a Good Samaritan came to his assistance, police said.
Third Attack
Cella chose his third victim the following day, Sept. 18, 2021. After returning to the same 7-Eleven in Farmingville, Cella once again lured a 47-year-old Brentwood man with promises of work.
Once the victim was inside his vehicle, Cella sped off and drove erratically, despite his victim’s pleas to stop, prosecutors said.
The victim finally grabbed the gear shift and threw the vehicle into park before jumping out while the car was still moving.
That’s when Cella attempted to run the man down with his car before getting out and chasing him on foot, prosecutors said.
The entire ordeal was captured on surveillance footage.
In addition to the video evidence, prosecutors said Cella was identified in photo lineups by all three victims and provided a voluntary, written confession.
In August 2022, Cella pleaded guilty to multiple hate crime charges, including strangulation, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and reckless endangerment.
His sentence was just half of what was requested by prosecutors, who asked that he serve seven years in prison.
“This defendant targeted vulnerable individuals who only wanted to work, and terrorized them with cruel and inhumane violence,” Suffolk County DA Raymond Tierney said in a statement.
“He will now have to pay for his crimes with prison. We will not tolerate abuse of anyone in Suffolk County regardless of ethnicity, race, national origin, or immigration status.”
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