A carjacker who fatally ran over a Brooklyn dad while attempting to steal his truck was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Wednesday — as the dead man’s children slammed the judge for allowing the thief to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
“He deserved to have been sentenced to life without parole,” victim Phil Dellegrazie’s daughter, Marie, spat at Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog regarding the plea he offered Joshua Colon over prosecutor’s objections.
“Colon is not remorseful for taking my father’s life, he doesn’t feel sorry for having destroyed a family. Hr is indeed a career criminal who continuously breaks the law, he is not fit to be out of prison or in society.”
“This was his 31st arrest. How many chances do you give someone?” she fumed. “Do you know where I go when I want to talk to my father? A cemetery. I talk but I won’t ever hear his voice. I can only see him in a picture or video.”
Colon pleaded guilty last month to charges of second-degree murder in the death of father-of-three Phil Dellegrazie, who was mowed down in April 2016 when he tried to stop Colon from stealing his vehicle.
Colon pushed the 63-year-old under the wheels of the flatbed truck, and then rolled over the ironworker’s head and neck as he sped away, prosecutors said.
Dellegrazie’s son, Angelo, also lashed into Firetog for letting Colon off with a reduced sentence.
“The system definitely needs to be worked on because it’s just not fair,” the 34-year-old, who found his dad’s body in the street, said.
“Arriving to the scene of the accident with police and detectives and the news cameras and reporters all around my father’s body covered with a white sheet soaked in the rain with blood on it.
“Seeing the outline of his body and him just laying there dead will never be forgotten,” the son said, before he called Colon a “coward.”
The 26-year-old eventually abandoned the car, and was arrested while trying to steal another vehicle.
“This defendant not only ripped an innocent, hardworking man from his children and family, but also robbed the community and his employees of a beloved colleague and friend,” DA-elect Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “Today’s sentence will not heal his loved ones’ wounds, but I hope it will provide them with a small measure of solace.”