3rd arrest in a week: Man charged with harassment, aggravated assault, concealed weapon
It has hardly been a week since a man was arrested for running through a large pro-Palestinian protest, fleeing from police, and concealing a 10-to-12-inch Egyptian-style knife. That same man is now back in jail — for the third time.
Hawazin Gridley Wright, 43, was first booked into the Palm Beach County Jail in Florida last Sunday, on Nov. 19. That time, he was charged with unlawful carry of a concealed weapon and resisting arrest without violence, with a citation for obstructing traffic by a pedestrian.
The second time was early Friday morning. In that instance, Wright was charged with possession of ecstasy or MDMA, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
His latest incident happened Sunday evening. Wright was charged with harassment and sending written threats to kill or do harm. The alleged victim, 46-year-old Jacklyn Edelstein, told West Palm Beach police officers she met Wright online.
According to his arrest affidavit, the pair went on three dates and then Edelstein said she found out Wright had been lying to her about — for instance — his previous arrests. When she realized that, she stopped all contact with him, and that sparked the alleged threatening messages and harassment.
Wright told her that she was a dead woman walking, and he "wanted to punch a Jew in the face," according to the arrest report.
Then, Wright allegedly threatened Edelstein further, saying if she let one more of his phone calls go to voicemail, then she'd be dead by the next morning. He also claimed to be meeting with gang members to "acquire flashbang grenades," the documents said.
Even the management company at Edelstein's apartment told her about Wright being in the area, looking for her.
Wright was booked into jail again at 6:38 p.m. Sunday, and he remains there with his bond set at $40,000. He made his first court appearance on Monday and was ordered to have no contact with the victim, or with weapons, if he's released.
On Nov. 19, Wright was arrested after a brief chase on foot through traffic during a protest for Palestinians. Police said he was wearing short-shorts and holding a guitar with a knife beneath his shirt.
Wright was released on his own recognizance after two-and-a-half hours but days later, he was back in jail, facing drug and aggravated assault charges.
In that incident, he was involved in an altercation, accused of following a woman and then pulling out a baton on a man standing up for her. A third person promptly tackled Wright to the ground, and he was restrained until he was arrested.
He spent 36 hours in jail until his release in lieu of $6,000 bond and then roughly 25 hours later, Wright was back yet again for harassing communication by repeated phone calls, and intimidation by making electronic threats to harm or kill.
Those were not the first of Wright's legal problems in Palm Beach County. He actually spent two-and-a-half months in jail, from April 26 to July 11 of this year, for violating an injunction for protection against domestic violence.
