Jersey City, NJ pair guilty of harassing neighbor about religion

JERSEY CITY — An elderly couple were both found guilty of fourth-degree bias intimidation for threatening a neighbor over a period of about two years, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday.

A release from the prosecutor's office said Jersey City residents William Ong, 76, who was found not guilty of an additional charge of terroristic threats, and Beverly Ong, 73, were accused of making the "threatening and harassing" statements in multiple instances between 2016 and 2018.

The nature of the Ongs' comments, according to the prosecutor's office, dealt with the male neighbor's religion, which they believed to be Muslim.

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Further specifics detailing what the Ongs said to the neighbor were not provided.

William and Beverly Ong are both scheduled to be sentenced June 7.

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit instructed anyone who feels they may have been the victim of a bias crime to contact them at 201-915-1234.

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

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