Possible Jail Time For NJ Man Who Spat Racial Slurs At Neighbor: Cops

CLIFTON, NJ - A Passaic County man is facing possible jail time after an altercation with his neighbor last summer in which he reportedly spewed racial slurs and told her to “go back from where she came from,” authorities said.

Antonio Delevante, 71, of Clifton, was charged with bias intimidation and harassment following the Aug. 24 incident after his neighbor, a 51-year-old woman, reported to police that Delevante uttered the hate speech, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

Delevante was arrested on Nov. 30 by Clifton police near Graham Place and Atkins Court, where the initial incident took place. He was charged on a summons-complaint and was later released, police said.

His charges have been referred to the Passaic County Grand Jury, police added.

The sentencing exposure for bias intimidation is 18 months in state prison; for harassment, it’s 30 days in jail, the prosecutor’s office said.

Anyone with additional information about the incident is urged to contact the county tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Community Policing Division of the Clifton Police Department at 973-803-5716.