Man arrested in Boca Raton after threatening to slit congressman’s throat

U.S. Congressman Jared Moskowitz received a death threat from a man who promised to slit the politician’s throat, Moskowitz told the Miami Herald.

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On Thursday afternoon, Moskowitz took to social media to announce the arrest of the unidentified man in Boca Raton, who lives near the congressman’s home.

“A constituent of mine has just been arrested in Boca, just a few miles from my house, for threatening my life,” Moskowitz wrote.

He told the Herald the man left a voicemail at his office with the threatening message. The congressman immediately alerted the authorities.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and other local agencies swiftly took action, arrested the caller and took him to the Palm Beach County Jail.

FDLE did not immediately respond for comment.

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During election season two years ago, Moskowitz was also the target of a death threat. Just a day before the 2024 election, police arrested John Lapinski, 42, for a shooting where no one was injured, which led them to discover his manifesto filled with antisemitic rhetoric.

Along with the manifesto was a map of local schools, parks and other community sites scrawled with racial slurs targeting Black and Jewish people, as well as a “target list” naming “groups to attack” based on race and religion.

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Moskowitz was among those listed.

Lapinski was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by eight months of supervised release late last year.

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“I deal with these threats all the time,” Moskowitz said. “It may be heightened cause of the election, but this is something I’ve dealt with many times.”

Moskowitz discussed recent threats he’s been receiving at a candidate forum held at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton on Tuesday. In response to a question about what Moskowitz has done to fight back against antisemitism and stand up for Israel, the congressman said he’s had “antisemites” trying to kill him.

The threats got so bad that they prompted Moskowitz to get 24-hour security, he said.

“My wife, who’s here, we have police outside our house 24-hours a day now,” he said at the forum. “The security that’s going on here tonight, it’s for me, and the mayor and for you all, but it’s a lot for me. I can’t go anywhere now without security because of the work I’ve done fighting antisemitism and the voice that I’ve had on the issue.”

Police presence at his home will become even more heightened given the most recent threat, he said.

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