WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Police arrested a 33-year-old man wanted for threatening a Yeshiva University student last month, police said.
Curtis Weaver was arrested on Thursday, April 7 at Dunkin Donuts on 398 Audubon Ave. where he threatened to beat up a 20-year-old Yeshiva student after ordering him to take off his yarmulke, police said.
"Take that thing off your head," Weaver allegedly told the student, and added, "let's go outside."
Weaver was charged with aggravated harassment, police said.
Sources said he was issued a desk appearance ticket. Police initially said the incident would be investigated by the Hate Crimes task force but officials could not immediately confirm if the charges were being considered a hate crime.
Police said Weaver lives in Jersey City and works as a delivery man for Driscoll Foods, a New Jersey food company. Driscoll spokesman said they had no comment at this time.
The day before Weaver was arrested, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and State Sen. Adriano Espaillat called on him to turn himself in to authorities. Rodriguez and Espaillat organized a press conference shortly after the incident in March, with representatives from Yeshiva University, CB Chair Shah Ally and other religious leaders.
Espaillat said he was pleased to hear of the arrest and thanked the "NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force for working diligently to protect these students and our Uptown community."
"While this ugly incident was hateful and anti-Semitic, it only brought our community closer together against intolerance," Espaillat said of the incident.
"We assembled as neighbors, leaders, elected officials and friends to denounce hate and celebrate our wonderful multiculturalism. As a representative of this area, I could not be prouder of how the Washington Heights community responded to this hateful action. This support shows the true strength of diversity."
