Man accused of attacking Rep. Lee Zeldin arrested on federal charge

The man accused of attacking New York Rep. Lee Zeldin at a campaign event southeast of Rochester on Thursday was arrested on a federal charge Saturday, authorities said.

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David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport, New York, was arrested on a federal assault charge, WABC-TV reported.

Update 4:47 p.m. EDT July 23: The federal criminal complaint alleges that David Jakubonis, an Iraq War veteran, told investigators he had been drinking whiskey on Thursday and went on stage as Zeldin addressed an audience at the Perinton VFW Post 8495 in Fairport. Jakubonis said he wanted to ask the speaker if he was disrespecting veterans, according to The Associated Press.

Jakubonis “did not know who the speaker was or that the speaker was a political person,” according to the complaint, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Rochester. The complaint added that when Jakubonis watched video of Thursday evening’s incident he told investigators he “must have checked out.”

Original report: Zeldin, 42, a Republican who has represented New York’s 1st congressional district in eastern Long Island since 2015, is challenging incumbent Kathy Hochul for governor in New York. He was giving a speech about bail reform at the Perinton VFW Post 8495 in Fairport when a man, later identified as Jakubonis, climbed on the stage and began yelling, according to WROC-TV.

Zeldin said when he saw Jakubonis wearing a veteran hat, “My guard couldn’t possibly be more dropped, but at the same time, I noticed he had a weapon in his hand.”

”He was telling me, ‘You’re done,’” Zeldin told WABC-TV. “Obviously at that point, regardless of what was on your hat, this was not a normal situation

‘The first thought was to grab onto his wrist and just to hold it.”

AMVETS National Director Joe Chenelly tackled and restrained the man, who was an Iraq war veteran, along with the assistance of other bystanders at the scene, according to the television station.

Jakubonis was originally believed to be carrying a knife, but authorities on Friday clarified that he was holding a black hardened plastic keychain with two sharp points designed for self-defense, according to WROC.

Jacob Murphy, a spokesperson for Zeldin’s congressional office, said Friday that Zeldin had a minor scrape from the incident, CBS News reported.

Zeldin said security will be beefed up for the rest of his gubernatorial campaign, WABC reported.

”All security for all events for later in the campaign will be ramped up,” Zeldin said. “That’s something that started this morning. That will be sustained through November.”

Jakubonis was arraigned in Perinton Town Court for attempted assault and released on his own recognizance on Friday, according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

He is a U.S. Army veteran who was deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a medical laboratory technician, according to the Livingston County News.

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