Police in a suburb of New York City made their first arrest under a controversial local law banning face masks that was enacted earlier this month.
The Nassau County Police Department on Long Island said they arrested 18-year-old Wesslin Omar Ramirez Castillo on Sunday night after receiving reports of a suspicious person.
Ramirez Castillo was allegedly found wearing a black ski mask and all-black clothing. Police said the young man appeared to be trying to conceal something in his waistband, which turned out to be a 14-inch knife.
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He’s been charged with misdemeanor criminal possession of a weapon and obstructing governmental administration, police said. A spokesperson for the department told The Associated Press that Ramirez Castillo would also face a misdemeanor violation for wearing the face mask — which is punishable with up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
The Mask Transparency Act, signed on Aug. 14 in Nassau County, bans the wearing of face masks in public except for "health, safety, religious or cultural purposes."
Nassau County officials said the rule was meant to counter criminal activity, including "antisemitic incidents" that have taken place since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
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Organizations like the New York Civil Liberties Union have been critical of the ban, claiming it infringes on First Amendment rights and could lead to inequitable policing if officers enforce the law unevenly.
It is still legal to wear a face mask or covering in the rest of New York state, though a bill has been introduced for a statewide ban.
