02/25/2014
Albuquerque police have arrested a man accused of threatening to stab a couple of teenagers playing basketball, simply because he hated Muslims.
Nilsson Wood is accused of threatening a 15-year-old and his friend with a knife.
The incident happened at the basketball court that is part of the Islamic Center of New Mexico.
According to the criminal complaint, the teen and his friend were playing basketball when they heard Wood screaming down the street.
They said they didn't think anything of it until he came to the court and ended up face-to-face with him.
The 15-year-old said Wood pulled out a knife and told them he hates Muslims and he wanted to kill them.
Police say Wood was intoxicated at the time.
John Bounadonna is a resident in the area. He walks by the center every day and sees it as a place of peace and refuge.
"When I walk by the spot specifically it seems like a spot where people can get away from any trouble that they might find; to get away from any violence in the neighborhood and to find themselves here. When it comes to this spot is pretty sad," Bounadonna said.
Wood is not charged with any hate crimes but he is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and child abuse.
Monday afternoon, KOB Eyewitness News 4 received a statement from Albuquerque Interfaith, which states:
"New Mexico has no place for hatred like this. People of religious and democratic faith have an obligation to reject prejudice and violence against our Muslim brothers and sisters. New Mexicans are better than this."
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