Allegedly Yelled “Death To America” In Patrol Car. Whispering Pines Elementary School Parent “Poses A Threat Of Harm To Community.”
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Chirag Patel, the West Boca Raton man accused of burglary, voyeurism, injuring a police officer, yelling anti-Semitic statements at Whispering Pines Elementary School employees, and more, “poses a threat of harm to the community,” according to a prosecutorial document obtained by BocaNewsNow.com.
Patel was taken into custody last week near Whispering Pines Elementary — just south of Clint Moore Road on Lyons Road — after police allegedly watched him peak into an area home. Although he lives near the school, and has a child in the school, Patel had previously been told to stay away from Whispering Pines after he allegedly engaged the principal and several staffers with aggressive behavior. We have learned Patel yelled, “death to America” once he was in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
While his arrest last week was initially unrelated to the incidents at Whispering Pines — and his constant anti-Semitic social media posts — prosecutors say there is a nexus between his alleged behavior and the allegations that landed him in jail. The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s office wrote this in a document filed with the court and obtained by BocaNewsNow.com.
”NEXUS BETWEEN DEFENDANT’S CRIME AND WHISPERING PINES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL This Court should consider the defendants past and present patterns of behavior, the criteria in s. 936.046, and any other relevant facts in determining whether the defendant poses a threat of harm to the community. Sec. 907.041 Fla. Stat. (5)(c) (2024). The defendant’s decisions and crimes made in close geographical and temporal proximity to Whispering Pines Elementary School form a nexus between the two. On numerous occasions prior to this case the defendant made anti-Semitic remarks about the school. These include social media posts that include threats such as “Death to all Jews”. These threats have created an environment of fear for the students, parents, school employees at Whispering Pines, and the community in general. These threats resulted in additional law enforcement presence at the school.
Defendant poses the threat of harm to the community. The Court may so conclude, if it finds that Defendant is presently charged with a dangerous crime, that there is a substantial probability that Defendant committed such crime, that the factual circumstances of the crime indicate a disregard for the safety of the community, and that there are no conditions of release reasonably sufficient to protect the community from the risk of physical harm to persons.
The defendant’s decisions and crimes made in close geographical and temporal proximity to Whispering Pines Elementary School form a nexus between the two. On numerous occasions prior to this case the defendant made anti-Semitic remarks about the school. These include social media posts that include threats such as “Death to all Jews”. These threats have created an environment of fear for the students, parents, school employees at Whispering Pines, and the community in general. These threats resulted in additional law enforcement presence at the school. The defendant’s actions have resulted in disruptions in school functions including no outside play or recess for the children at Whispering Pines Elementary School.
According to an anonymous tip received at 8:23 AM the defendant was observed walking by the school on Lyons Road during the morning student drop-off. The tip advises that he walks through the development to a plaza. This tip is corroborated by Lt. Cohen who then observes the defendant walking northbound on Spanish Isles Blvd. Spanish Isles intersects with Lyons Road and also runs next to Whispering Pines Elementary.”
Patel is being held on $50,000 bond for an alleged act of voyeurism. Bond was not set on the burglary charge or allegation that he injured an officer while being arrested. He will appear at a pre trial detention hearing on September 11th. Read our previous Chirag Patel coverage here.
