Two suspects who allegedly planned to attack New York City synagogues have been arraigned.
Twenty-one-year-old Christopher Brown and 22-year-old Matthew Mahrer were arrested at Penn Station late Friday night after investigators uncovered a developing threat to the Jewish community earlier in the day.
They were allegedly armed with several weapons, including a gun, a high-capacity magazine and an 8-inch military style knife. Brown faced a judge Sunday morning. In a statement to police, he admitted to being a white supremacist and antisemitic.
He told police he traveled to Pennsylvania with Mahrer to illegally buy a gun from a friend.
CBS2 spoke exclusively to Brown’s family on Long Island. They tell us he is schizophrenic.
“My brother would never hurt anybody. He would hurt himself before hurting anybody else,” Brown’s sister said. “He’s not a bad person. He’s just very sick, you know, and he needs help.”
Brown’s defense says he has no criminal record and worked at an animal shelter.
Mahrer was arraigned around midnight.
Brown is being charged with making a terroristic threat, aggravated harassment and criminal possession of a weapon. Mahrer is charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
Both men are due back in court Wednesday.