Important Takeaways:

• Wesslin Omar Ramirez Castillo, 18, was arrested Sunday after Nassau County police responded to reports of a “suspicious male” wearing a mask.
• Ramirez Castillo allegedly “continued to display suspicious behavior while attempting to conceal a large bulge in his waistband” that ended up being a 14-inch knife, officials said.
• Police said that officers stopped him and patted him down under the mask law and found the knife. Ramirez Castillo allegedly refused to comply with officer commands and was placed under arrest.
• He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, obstructing governmental administration and charged with violating the Mask Transparency Act.
• The controversial ban on wearing face coverings in public was signed into law Aug. 15 in Nassau County, which covers part of Long Island, just east of New York City.
• Those who violate the law face a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
• County legislator Howard Kopel had said the mask ban bill was introduced in response to “antisemitic incidents, often perpetrated by those in masks” since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
• Critics say the ban poses a risk for those who want to peacefully protest while concealing their identities.

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