Morris Plains Man Yelled Racial Slurs, Tried To Punch Man: Police

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A Morris Plains man was arrested after he allegedly attempted to punch a man in the face and yelled racial slurs at him, Parsippany police said.

Stephen Laverty, 20, was arrested Feb. 20 and charged with numerous counts, including bias intimidation, possession of drugs and harassment. Another man, Antony Wyzga, 23, from Lake Hiawatha, was charged with possession of drugs and being under the influence.

According to police, Laverty and Wyzga were parked outside the Route 46 Exxon station when Laverty began verbally harassing a man. As the man took a photo of the license plate to document the encounter, Laverty and Wyzga allegedly got out of the car.

Police said Laverty confronted the man, using racial slurs and attempting to take his phone and punch him. The man dodged the punch, and called 911 as the two drove away, police said.

Laverty allegedly called the man "a terrorist, a Muslim, and that he should go back to his own country," the Daily Record reported. The man was Sikh.

Laverty and Wyzga were stopped by officers later that night near the 7/11 on North Beverwyck Road. Both were arrested and taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a hearing, police said.

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