Man who allegedly threatened to kill Jewish people arrested near NYC after driving from Utah

A man who allegedly threatened on social media to kill Jewish people was arrested just outside New York City after driving across the country from Utah, according to NYPD officials.

The suspect, Luis Ramirez, drove from Utah through Kansas City to Philadelphia, continuing to make threats along the way, police officials said. NYPD detectives and other law enforcement were tracking him as he traveled from Philadelphia to NYC on Friday.

He made it as far as the New Jersey side of the Lincoln Tunnel, where he was stopped by Port Authority Police around 5:30 p.m. Ramirez was taken into custody in New Jersey, and police were searching his car, though there were no immediate signs of any weapons, police officials said. Authorities were also hoping to gain access to his phone to potentially learn more about the alleged threats.

Police believed he was on his way to the Central Synagogue in midtown Manhattan. A senior official stressed there was no explicit, direct threat made to Central Synagogue itself, although Ramirez did allegedly mention he might go there.

Read more: NBC New York