A Ridgefield man was arrested for allegedly spitting in multiple people’s faces during a “walk for solidarity” in support of immigrant rights in Fairview on the afternoon of July 12, authorities said.
The first incident occurred at 6 Anderson Ave. where the man, Giancarlo Pontecorvo, 26, of Ridgefield, crossed the street from where the demonstration was taking place and began arguing with the victim on the sidewalk. According to the Fairview Police Department, Pontecorvo, who was a participant of the demonstration, spit into the victim’s face and fled the area.
Later, at the intersection of Fairview Avenue and Anderson Avenue, Pontecorvo got into an argument with a motorist while he was temporarily holding up traffic for the demonstration to cross. Per the Fairview Police Department, Pontecorvo spit into the driver’s face during this altercation.
Pontecorvo was ultimately arrested at his place of employment and charged with two counts of assault.
A North Bergen woman was also arrested in connection to the demonstration in Fairview after allegedly striking and injuring protesters with her vehicle.
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“The demonstrators were crossing the intersection and temporarily holding up traffic when a confrontation took place between a participant and the driver of a vehicle,” police said in a statement. “The participants started to surround the driver’s vehicle and the driver attempted to proceed through the intersection, striking multiple participants.”
Several people sustained minor injuries, and one was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
‘She was surrounded by a mob’
The driver, 62-year-old Linda Roglen, was charged with multiple motor vehicle violations as well as four criminal counts of assault by auto resulting in bodily injury. In a statement to NorthJersey.com, Roglen’s attorney Brian Neary said that she was “merely protecting herself from a mob around her car.”
“Spitting is not a political act,” said Neary. “She was surrounded by a mob pounding on her car and she simply had to get away from the mob.”
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An organizer from United Without Fear, Katelyn Quino, said people crowded the vehicle to urge Roglen to stop after she had hit the man, who fell to the ground.
Roglen pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in Fairview Municipal Court Aug. 13.
The walk from Cliffside Park to North Bergen aimed to show support for immigrant communities amid a rise in detentions and deportations under the Trump administration.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ridgefield NJ man arrested for spitting at people at Fairview protest