A man suspected of being involved with a jihadist group was found with many weapons near LaGuardia Airport. His friend, who goes by “Jay,” was surprised by this, as he knew the man as a quiet and positive person. They had been friends since middle school, and Jay never expected this from him.
According to Jay, the man, Judd Sanson, never talked about violence or terrorism. Jay thinks something changed in Sanson’s mind. He also mentioned that Sanson was hard on himself and was bullied in school for his accent, which made him feel embarrassed.
Sanson, who is originally from a devout Catholic family in the Philippines, had converted to Islam in the past few years to find peace. However, he seemed troubled. Police found a loaded gun, magazines, an NYPD vest, handcuffs, axes, a stun gun, knives, a weighted whip, and a baton in his car during a bust near LaGuardia Airport.
When Sanson was pulled over, he nervously reached under his seat, saying there were many drunk people around. He claimed to be visiting his uncle, but police found more weapons in his car, including a loaded Glock, a knife on his leg, and other dangerous items.
Sanson, who has addresses in Tennessee and Maryland but lives with his dad in Queens, was arrested and sent to Rikers Island without bail. Jay mentioned that some shop owners in the neighborhood had noticed something was wrong with Sanson, but Jay never believed he would harm anyone.