70-year-old arrested twice in 3 hours for refusing to wear mask in stores, NJ officials say

A man in New Jersey was arrested twice after entering two Wawa convenience stores Saturday and refusing to wear a mask in either, the attorney general said.

Stephen Breza, 70, went into the first Wawa just before 11 a.m., according to a state news release. After being told he needed to wear a mask, officials say he became “belligerent,” cursing at employees while screaming and flailing his arms.

Breza also allegedly threatened to beat a customer with a pipe, the release said.

When police arrived, Breza screamed at officers while resisting arrest, officials say.

Less than three hours later around 1:30 p.m., Breza went into another Wawa store, again not wearing a mask, according to the release. There, he punched customer in the face, officials say.

The customer left the store, but Breza allegedly went out to his own car where he retrieved a pipe “which he wielded menacingly,” the news release said.

New Jersey’s stay-at-home order requires individuals to wear face coverings when shopping at essential retail businesses, picking up take-out orders and using public transit to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to the state’s website.

Breza was arrested again. In both cases he’s charged with failure to submit to fingerprinting, disorderly conduct and violating the emergency orders, the release said. In the first case, he’s also charged with resisting arrest.

In the second case he’s charged with second-degree terroristic threats during an emergency and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, the release said.

This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 6:31 AM with the headline "70-year-old arrested twice in 3 hours for refusing to wear mask in stores, NJ officials say."