Casablanca unhinged

The demons within Joseph Casablanca of 29 Ellington Way, New Hempstead appear to be getting the best of him.

The 55-year-old landlord was recently accused of burglarizing one of his tenant’s apartments, leading to his being roughed up by the woman’s boyfriend. Casablanca has now been arrested again, this time for setting fire to the tenant’s car.

Ramapo PD says Casablanca lit up a 2006 Hyundai parked in his driveway. When they arrived the car was fully engulfed, Sgt. Brian Corbett said. Casablanca was ultimately charged with felonies second-degree criminal mischief and fourth-degree arson.

A local journalist discovered that in addition to his recent problems with the law, Casablanca was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse against a 9-year-old boy over a decade ago and served three years in state prison. Casablanca was paroled in 2003 and does not appear in state sex offender registries.