LEVITTOWN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Police arrested a man for allegedly violating Nassau County’s mask ban while trying to hide a knife in his pants on Sunday, authorities said.
The incident happened in Levittown around 7:55 p.m., according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Police responded after receiving reports of a “suspicious” man walking on Spindle Road while wearing a mask to hide his identity, authorities said.
Police arrested the suspect after he allegedly refused to comply with the officers' orders, authorities said. He was found with a 14-inch-long knife in the waistband, according to police.
Police arrested 18-year-old Wesslin Omar Ramirez Castillo and charged him with violating Nassau County’s Mask Transparency Act, criminal possession of a weapon, and obstructing governmental administration.
Nassau County’s Mask Transparency Act was recently signed into law on Aug. 14. The law bans people in Nassau County from wearing masks in public. It provides exemptions for health and religious reasons.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.
