A 24-year-old man was charged with three counts of criminal mischief as a hate crime. Police says Joseph Papapietro, 24, allegedly drove into three Mexican owned businesses on Port Richmond Avenue on Staten Island last week. Police arrested him after noticing the broken tail light on his red pickup truck (witnesses said the driver was in a red pickup) and the Advance reports that Papapietro "made incriminating statements" during questioning. Cocaine residue was also found in his vehicle. The merchants are happy he was arrested, but worry about others who may bear ill will.
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