A man in Boca Raton punched the hood of a car because he thought the driver was Muslim, police said.
Boca Raton police got a call about a drunken man who had punched a car at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at 101 Plaza Real.
The driver of the vehicle told officers a man, later identified as James Caputo, wandered into the street and was standing there. He stopped his car and waited for Caputo to get out of the street, but when he didn’t, he honked his horn to get him to move.
Caputo turned to look at the driver, who according to police has an olive complextion and dark hair, and started screaming at him.
According to the arrest report, Caputo cursed at the man, called him a Muslim and told him to go back to his country. The driver told police he is Lebanese but is not Muslim.
The driver yelled back at Caputo and then Caputo punched the hood of the man’s car, leaving a significant dent, police said.
Caputo ran off, police said, but they found him a few blocks away at a bar.
He is charged with criminal mischief. He is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $1,000 bail.