(KRON) – David Jonathan Margoliash pleaded guilty Wednesday to using tear gas in a North Bay Islamic center attack that injured a member of the center during the Holy Month of Ramadan, according to the Marin County District Attorney’s Office.
Margoliash, 48, of San Rafael, admitted to a felony charge of using tear gas while being a convicted felon and an infraction of displaying an imitation firearm. He has separate prior convictions for vandalism and assault, court documents show.
On March 11, police received 911 calls that a member of the Islamic Center of Marin, who was preparing for the first day of Ramadan, had been pepper sprayed “by a subject who potentially possessed a firearm in his bag,” the Novato Police Department said.
Margoliash fled on foot after the attack. NPD officers then set up a perimeter in the 7000 block of Redwood Blvd while interviewing the victim, later sending him to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Police said video surveillance shows the victim attempting to restrain Margoliash and keep him away from the bag. “During the struggle, (Margoliash) used pepper spray to assault the victim, grabbed the bag, and fled,” NPD said.
Margoliash was not arrested until the following day on March 12, when officers served a search warrant at his home in San Rafael, police said.
Margoliash was booked into Marin County jail for unlawful possession of pepper spray and disrupting a religious ceremony. Investigations revelaed that Margoliash possessed an “imitation firearm” in his backpack, to which court documents say he “openly displayed.”
As part of his plea agreement, Margoliash will be placed on probation and assigned to the Support and Treatment After Release Court, a program focusing on serving convicts with mental illness.
