Huntington Man Accused Of Road Rage Hate Crime: DA

HUNTINGTON, NY — A Huntington man is accused of threatening to kill four Muslim men and then ramming his vehicle into theirs in a case being treated as a hate crime, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Brendan Marchetti, 35, faces charges of second-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime, a Class C felony; second-degree reckless endangerment as a hate crime, a Class E felony; and second-degree aggravated harassment as a hate crime, a Class A misdemeanor, the DA said.

He was arraigned Wednesday before District Court Judge Rosann Orlando.

Prosecutors said that at 9 a.m. on June 17, four men dressed in traditional Muslim attire were in a car on their way to a mosque. The car came to stop at a red light at an intersection in Huntington. Marchetti was in the driver seat of a vehicle that was stopped at the same red light, the DA said.

Prosecutors alleged that Marchetti told the four men that he wanted to kill all Muslims, that all Muslims should die, and that he wanted to blow them up.

Marchetti then drove his vehicle into the side of their car, causing damage exceeding $1,500, and as the victims began to drive away to flee, Marchetti attempted to strike their car a second time, the DA said.

The men, "in fear for their lives," according to Tierney, called 911 and reported Marchetti’s license plate to the police. Law enforcement officers located Marchetti and his vehicle at an auto body shop a short time later and transported him to a hospital for mental health treatment, the DA said.

All three charges that Marchetti faces are considered non-bail eligible under current New York State law, meaning that prosecutors could not ask for bail, nor could a judge set bail at the time of arraignment, the DA said.

"It is unconscionable that my prosecutors cannot ask for bail on cases such as this due to 'bail reform,' especially where such violence is alleged," Tierney said.

Prosecutors requested that Marchetti instead be placed on supervised release with GPS monitoring and mental health conditions. Judge Orlando ordered Marchetti be placed on supervised release with mental health conditions.

Marchetti is due back in court July 24. He is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.

"Prosecuting hate crimes is essential to not only protect victims but to also uphold the values of tolerance and respect, especially for other people’s religions," Tierney said. "Hate in any form has no place in Suffolk County, and those who perpetrate such acts will face the full force of the law."