Somali-American Man Arrested for Stalking U.S Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez

A Somali-born man who can’t seem to leave U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez alone wound up back in court Thursday.

Douala Hashi, 31, was arrested for criminal contempt on Wednesday for violating an order of protection by visiting the progressive rep’s office in Jackson Heights after he was warned not to do it again.

Police brought him to the 115th Precinct stationhouse and also charged him with stalking for three other visits to AOC’s office. Cops said on each occasion, he asked to speak with her, and then became “violent” when refused access.

Hashi was previously charged with criminal mischief on June 15 for discharging a fire extinguisher that he shot off on the same floor as AOC’s office. Carrying a broken bottle, he then went into a utility closet before he was handcuffed. He never actually entered her office, police said.

The Somali-born Hashi, of South Jamaica, was arraigned on the new charges Thursday. Judge Jerry Iannece set bail at $10,000, but sharply warned Hashi to stay away from Ocasio-Cortez and two aides, Maribel Hernandez Rivera and Francisco Casablance Torres.

“I’m telling you right now, you make bail, you get out, you go anywhere near these people, anywhere near them, you see me again I will remand you sir, remand you,” Iannece thundered from the bench. “That means if you have a million dollars, a billion dollars, you will not get out of jail. Are we clear? These aren’t things that we take lightly, they’re court orders that we have to abide by.”

Hashi mumbled that he understood. Iannece also ordered a psychiatric evaluation.

Hashi’s lawyer Peter Visconti declined comment after the hearing.

AOC spokesman Corbin Trent previously suggested that Hashi’s earlier arrest was a “coincidence” and the man just happened to be in the building where the Democratic Congresswoman’s office is located.

Source: New York Daily News