Report: Anonymous Caller Takes Responsibility For Bacon Found At S.I. Ramadan Site
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An anonymous caller who claimed to have discarded spoiled bacon in a park where Muslims had scheduled Ramadan prayers said he was putting it out for seagulls and raccoons to eat, not as an anti-Muslim statement.
The Staten Island Advance said the message was left Tuesday on a reporter's voicemail.
"I was reading the article about the horrible incident of bacon and Muslims in the park and I wanted to let you know that is not a bias incident," the caller said. "I had put the bacon there. It was going bad in my trunk and I put it out for the scavengers like the opossums and the raccoons and seagulls and I did not intend for that to cause anybody any problems. Again, it was not any (inaudible) anti-Muslim act and I did not want to offend anybody in way."
The NYPD is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. It was informed of the call but declined to discuss it.
Three packages of bacon were found Sunday in a section of the New Dorp Beach park. Muslims are barred from eating pork because pigs are considered unclean.
The bacon incident happened as police investigated a hateful comment posted on a blog before the Ramadan celebration that included a threat to bring a pig to the ceremony.
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