Bias incident during prayer investigated at Paterson, NJ mosque

PATERSON — Investigators say two people entered a city mosque during prayer service Monday night and threw rocks at worshipers, but no one was injured.

A release from the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office on Thursday did not specify whether those two people immediately fled the scene or if they had been identified or captured, but said an investigation was "active and ongoing" and more information would eventually be released.

The release said the reported assault was in the area of Preakness Avenue and Hill Street. The Islamic Congregation of North Jersey is located near that intersection.

Get our free mobile app

The mosque also goes by the name Masjid Abu Bakr, according to the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which condemned the attack on Thursday.

Prosecutors said that county sheriff's officers responded just before 8:45 p.m. Monday to the report of the two people throwing rocks, but determined that those individuals had not hit anyone.

Authorities are referring to the case as a bias investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org, or the Passaic County Sheriff's Office at 973-881-4200.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

What would happen to NJ if we were attacked by nuclear weapons?

We used NUKEMAP by Alex Wellerstein to see what would happen if a nuclear warhead hit New York, Philadelphia, Washington or New Jersey.

The models show what would happen in aerial detonation, meaning the bomb would be set off in the sky, causing considerable damage to structures and people below; or what would happen in a ground detonation, which would have the alarming result of nuclear fallout. The models do not take into account the number of casualties that would result from fallout.

LOOK: Baby names that are illegal around the world

Stacker scoured hundreds of baby name databases and news releases to curate a list of baby names that are illegal somewhere in the world, along with explanations for why they’re banned.

LOOK: What are the odds that these 50 totally random events will happen to you?

Stacker took the guesswork out of 50 random events to determine just how likely they are to actually happen. They sourced their information from government statistics, scientific articles, and other primary documents. Keep reading to find out why expectant parents shouldn't count on due dates -- and why you should be more worried about dying on your birthday than living to 100 years old.

Filed Under: bias crime, Passaic County, Paterson

Categories: New Jersey News