Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports the arrest of a Patterson man on criminal charges following an incident at a Patterson grocery store.

On November 22, 2016 at 12:58 p.m., Deputy Sheriff Robert Hudson responded to a report of a suspicious male subject at the Putnam Lake Market located at 64 Fairfield Drive in Patterson. The subject was gone upon the deputy’s arrival. An employee of the market told the deputy that she had been speaking to another employee in Spanish when a man confronted her and stated, “this is our country, we speak English here” and further stated that he “wants to shoot all Spanish speaking people”. An investigation revealed the identity of the subject to be Wayne Rossi, 56, of 63 Empire Drive, Patterson. The deputy later encountered Mr. Rossi, who had admitted to having confronted the store employee. Further investigation revealed that Mr. Rossi was in possession of a .22 caliber rifle and that, as a person who has previously been convicted of a felony, is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. The deputy arrested Mr. Rossi and charged him with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a misdemeanor and with Harassment in the Second Degree, a violation. The defendant was arraigned before Town of Patterson Justice Anthony Mole and committed to the Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500.00 bail or $1,500.00 bond pending a January 10, 2017 court appearance.

If found guilty of the misdemeanor charge, the defendant could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.00.