Did the mask ban recently approved by the Nassau legislature in a GOP party-line vote and signed into law by County Executive Bruce Blakeman aid in arresting a “dangerous criminal?”

Should the county executive refer to someone arrested by Nassau police as a “dangerous criminal?”

Those are two questions that pop out following the arrest of 18-year-old Wesslin Omar Ramirez Castillo of Hicksville as he was walking down Spindle Road in Levittown Sunday evening, Aug. 25

Police were called to the scene after receiving reports of a “suspicious male” dressed in black and wearing a ski mask.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Pat Ryder said the police had cause to stop Ramirez Castillo at a press conference following the arrest.

“Eight o’clock at night, wearing a ski mask on an 80-degree night is suspicious in itself,” Ryder said. “So automatically, the police responded.”

Sounds reasonable.

Police said Castillo refused to comply with officers’ commands while attempting to conceal a prominent bulge in his waistband, which turned out to be a 14” knife.

Castillo was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, obstructing governmental administration, and being in violation of the mask ban.

The Nassau mask ban makes it a misdemeanor to wear a mask to hide one’s identity in public places. Exceptions are made for those wearing masks for health or religious purposes. Violation of the mask ban is punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail.

The push to ban masks in some public settings began in June after some pro-Palestinian demonstrators covered their faces during protests at Columbia University.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he was forced to dismiss 31 of the 46 cases against protesters who occupied Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall in April, partly because the protesters were wearing masks and could not be identified.

We understand the obstruction and weapons charges. But we question how the mask law aided Nassau police in arresting Ramirez Castillo or whether its application was consistent with how the law was presented to the Legislature.

Wearing a mask hardly hid Ramirez Castillo’s identity. It actually drew the attention of the police, leading to him being identified and arrested.

Ryder said after being detained, Ramirez-Castillo said ‘they’ told him to wear a mask and carry the knife.

Ryder said he doesn’t know who ‘they’ are, but without providing further evidence, said due to Ramirez-Castillo’s alleged gang ties, there is now “more reason for a further investigation.”

Ryder’s explanation for stopping Ramirez Castillo – he was wearing a mask in 80-degree heat seems reasonable – with or without the mask law.

But Blakeman seemed to disagree. Sort of.

The police were able to use the mask ban legislation ‘as well as other factors to stop and interrogate, “ Blakeman said in a press release.

But then Blakeman went even further, saying that Ramirez Castillo “was carrying a weapon with the intent to engage in a robbery” and “passing this law gave police another tool to stop this dangerous criminal.”

This was troubling. The police did not present any evidence that Ramirez Castillo was attempting to commit a robbery. Nor was he charged with robbery.

Is there something Blakeman knows that he is not telling us? If so, he should disclose it.

The same goes for the allegation that Ramirez Castillo is a “dangerous criminal.”

Where’s Blakeman’s evidence?

Ryder said Ramirez-Castillo was born in Guatemala and entered the country illegally in 2019 over in Texas. Does that make him a dangerous criminal?

Even if Blakeman had evidence that Ramirez-Castillo was a dangerous criminal, should the person who oversees the Nassau County police be passing judgment before he has his day in court?

Blakeman was elected to office in 2021 as a tough-on-crime Republican who opposed the state’s cash bail reforms, something he has continued to do even as crime has dropped in New York and across the country over the past two years.

And Nassau was once again ranked as the safest county in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Blakeman can best do his part by not saying anything that could taint the jury pool and undermine the criminal justice system doing its job.