A Long Island high school teacher accused of racing home to clean off his car minutes after running down and killing a day laborer was held yesterday in lieu of $20,000 bail.
Matthew Catapano, 24, a social studies teacher at William Floyd HS, yesterday was arraigned on charges of leaving the scene of a fatal accident, tampering with evidence and criminal conspiracy.
His father, Patrick Catapano, 55 – who is also charged with conspiracy and attempted tampering with evidence – attended his son’s arraignment yesterday at First District Court in Central Islip.
At around 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, Matthew was driving on Woodside Avenue in Patchogue. He struck and killed landscaper Rigoberto Amaya, 26, who was walking on the shoulder of the roadway, according to police.
Amaya, who had a wife and 4-year-old daughter in El Salvador, died of massive head trauma, cops said.