Suspect accused of attacking U.S. Rep Zeldin faces federal charges

(Reuters) – A person accused of making an attempt this week to stab Republican U.S. Consultant and New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin was arrested on Saturday on a federal cost of assaulting a member of Congress utilizing a harmful weapon, authorities stated.

David Jakubonis, 43 of Fairport, appeared earlier than a Justice of the Peace choose on Saturday and was ordered held till a bail listening to on Wednesday.

As Zeldin gave a speech on Thursday in his run for governor, Jakubonis climbed on stage, grabbed the best arm of Zeldin and prolonged a key chain with two sharp factors towards him, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace of the Western District of New York stated. Zeldin, who grabbed Jakuboni’s left arm, was unharmed.

Through the assault, which occurred in upstate New York, Jakubonis stated a number of occasions “you are executed,” a grievance filed Saturday and signed by an FBI agent stated.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Workplace had arrested Jakubonis on Thursday however he was later launched. Jakubonis had waived his rights and informed the sheriff’s investigators that he had served one tour in the course of the Iraq conflict within the U.S. Military, the grievance stated. Jakubonis informed the sheriff’s investigators he requested Zeldin if he was disrespecting veterans, it stated.

Jakubonis stated he drank on the day of the incident and he didn’t know who the speaker was or that he was a politician, it stated.

U.S. legislation carries heightened penalties for assaulting a member of Congress, and doesn’t require the federal government to show a defendant knew an assault sufferer was a member of Congress.

Zeldin pushed the suspect away earlier than each males tumbled to the bottom as a number of others tried to subdue the suspect, video footage posted on social media on Thursday by witnesses confirmed.

Courtroom data confirmed Jakubonis requested for a court-appointed protection lawyer and {that a} detention listening to was scheduled for Wednesday.

Zeldin has complained in regards to the preliminary launch of Jakubonis. “New York’s cashless bail legislation MUST be repealed,” Zeldin stated in a tweet on Saturday. In his run towards Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, Zeldin has stated New York’s bail legal guidelines should be strengthened to make it simpler for judges to carry suspects charged with some crimes.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax, Timothy Gardner and Ismail Shakil; Enhancing by David Gregorio)