A Hoboken man has been arrested in Bayonne again following threats against a local business, according to the Bayonne Police Department.
Threats against The RockÂ
On Jan. 4, Qiuwen Zheng was again taken into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant stemming from an incident of terroristic threats and harassment reported on Jan. 3 at 6:01 p.m. at 206 Broadway, The Rock Pub and Grill.
According to a business representative, the tavern had received numerous calls between Dec. 19 and Jan. 3. The caller, later identified as Zheng, made threatening remarks about the business, its patrons, and employees.
Previously, Zheng had been arrested for making terroristic threats and related charges for threatening the Black-owned Little Boho Bookshop and the life of it’s owner Sandra Dear.
Not the first time
On Nov. 20, shortly after opening the bookshop, a team member reviewing the day’s incoming emails and online orders alerted Dear to a series of troubling emails directed at her. These emails were quickly followed by a racially charged phone call by Zheng to the shop where verbal threats were made against Dear’s life.
Shaken, Dear contacted the authorities who responded swiftly. Deeming this an act of bias intimidation, the BPD launched an investigation, increased patrols in the area, and implemented a fixed post through the Bayonne Police Community Oriented Policing Unit.
On Nov. 21 at 10:50 a.m., while several officers and a detective were posted at the bookshop, they were approached by Zheng. He began speaking unintelligible phrases and uttering the same words as those in the emails sent to the bookshop the day prior.
An investigation ensued and led to Zheng being identified as the alleged actor behind the emails and phone call directed at Dear and The Little Boho Bookshop on Nov. 20. Zheng was then taken into custody and charged with Bias Intimidation, Cyber-Harassment, and Terroristic Threats.
Back in jail
According to police, Zheng has now been remanded to the Hudson County jail. He was previously held in the Hudson County jail until a judge ordered his release at a detention hearing on Dec. 8.
Zheng was freed awaiting his trial, but ordered to stay away from the bookshop and its owner. If Zheng were to violate the order and visit the bookshop or contact its owner, he would have been arrested again.Â
According to Hudson County Superior Court Judge Joseph Isabella’s ruling, Zheng was to report to pre-trial services each week and undergo mental health evaluations.
Zheng is also under investigation for numerous harassing phone calls made to the Bayonne Police Telecommunication Center at all hours of the day since Oct. 18.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
