Putnam Deputy Arrests Man Who Wants to Shoot All Spanish-Speakers

PATTERSON, NY — A Patterson man faces criminal charges following an incident at a local grocery store in which he threatened an employee for speaking Spanish.

When Deputy Sheriff Robert Hudson responded to a call from the Putnam Lake Market on Fairfield Drive at 12:58 p.m. Nov. 22, a member of the market's staff told the deputy that she had been speaking to another employee in Spanish when a man confronted her, objecting, “this is our country, we speak English here.”

Then he declared that he "wants to shoot all Spanish-speaking people," she told police.

The man left before the deputy arrived, but the Sheriff's Department said they identified a possible suspect, Wayne Rossi, of 63 Empire Drive, Patterson.

The deputy later encountered Rossi, who admitted to having confronted the store employee.

Further investigation revealed that the 56-year-old was in possession of a .22 caliber rifle, police said. As a person who has previously been convicted of a felony, Rossi is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.

The deputy charged Rossi with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a misdemeanor; and with Harassment in the Second Degree, a violation. He was arraigned before Town of Patterson Justice Anthony Mole and committed to the Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500 bail or $1,500 bond pending a Jan. 10, 2017 court appearance.

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