Police in a suburb of New York City have carried out the first arrest under a new local law that prohibits wearing face masks. Nassau County Police shared that they responded to a report of a suspicious individual near the town line of Levittown and Hicksville, located approximately 30 miles east of Manhattan. The officers encountered an 18-year-old named Wesslin Omar Ramirez Castillo wearing a black ski mask that covered most of his face except for his eyes, along with black clothing.
Ramirez Castillo exhibited suspicious behavior such as attempting to hide a large bulge in his waistband and refusing to cooperate with the officers. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the bulge was a 14-inch knife. Consequently, Ramirez Castillo was arrested without further escalation. He appeared in Family Court in Westbury for charges of criminal possession of a weapon and obstructing governmental administration as per Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office.
Lt. Scott Skrynecki from the police department mentioned that Ramirez Castillo will also face a charge related to the face mask law. The county executive, Bruce Blakeman, who signed the mask ban, highlighted that this arrest demonstrated the effectiveness of the legislation in apprehending a potentially dangerous individual. Legal experts have expressed differing opinions on the necessity of the new law, with some stating it provided police with additional justification to intervene, while others questioned its legality and enforcement.
The New York Civil Liberties Union and Disability Rights of New York have criticized the mask ban, citing concerns about potential selective enforcement and discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The legislation, known as the Mask Transparency Act, was enacted by the Republican-led county legislature in response to incidents during the Israel-Hamas conflict that involved individuals wearing masks to conceal their identities.
The law imposes misdemeanor charges for those wearing masks to conceal identity in public, with exceptions for health, safety, religious, cultural purposes, or festivities where masks are traditionally worn. Advocacy groups have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the mask law and seeking an injunction to halt its enforcement. Discussions regarding the incident and the new law are expected to take place at a forthcoming news conference involving police and county officials.
