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A San Rafael man charged with discharging pepper spray at the Islamic Center of North Marin pleaded not guilty Monday.
David Jonathan Margoliash, 48, was arrested after a confrontation at the Novato center during a service on March 11, the first day of the Ramadan holiday. He allegedly fired tear gas at a witness who approached Margoliash because he thought he had a gun in his bag, police said.
The Marin County District Attorney’s Office charged Margoliash with unlawfully using tear gas, being a convicted felon in possession of tear gas and displaying an imitation firearm in a public place. The Novato Police Department said it did not find evidence to support a hate crime allegation.
The arraignment was held Monday before Judge Kelly Simmons, who declined a defense request to release him from custody. Simmons scheduled his next hearing for March 28.
Public defender Meredith McGuire and prosecutor Annie Laurie Abriel declined to comment.
Margoliash pleaded guilty in 2019 to committing two felony acts of vandalism at homes in Bolinas, according to the criminal complaint. He was placed on probation for three years and ordered to comply with a mental health worker, according to court records.
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