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Frank Passaro, 66, of Hasbrouck Heights wasn't carrying any weapons when Paramus police arrested him without incident in the north parking garage at the Garden State Plaza early Friday afternoon, Feb. 18, Hasbrouck Heights Police Capt. Joseph Rinke said.
None were found in warranted searches of his vehicle and home, nor does Passaro have any weapons registered to him, said Rinke, the officer in charge of the department.
Paramus and Hasbrouck Heights police teamed up to quickly nab Passaro after a friend of his alerted them to the alleged threat, the captain said.
The friend told them Passaro apparently was "upset over a verdict that came out today and was going to seek revenge against minorities -- either African-American or Asian," he said.
Passaro wrote in text messages that he "was going to go to an unknown mall to 'f*cking kill them'," while using slurs, Rinke said.
What she didn't know was which verdict and what mall.
Paramus police located Passaro's vehicle on the third level of the Garden State Plaza parking garage a short time later before finding him.
Passaro -- who Rinke said wasn't previously known to police -- was charged with multiple counts of making terroristic threats before being taken to Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus for an evaluation.
The captain thanked Paramus police, the Bergen County Regional SWAT team and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Bias Crimes Unit for their assistance.
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