Police announced they’ve issued a warrant for a 30-year-old former employee of Benny’s Bar and Grill in Potomac in relation to a death threat made to the owner after he hung an Israeli flag at the restaurant earlier this month.
Police have charged Amber Denise Edmond, 30, of Beltsville, for obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force and for telephone misuse after police say she called Benny’s owner Benny Fischer around 2:40 a.m. on Aug. 7 and threatened to kill him. The call came from an anonymous phone number shortly after Fischer hung an Israeli flag outside his restaurant and the caller also made anti-Semitic remarks, according to police.
Police identified Edmond using phone records and later discovered she is a former employee at the restaurant. Edmond is not yet in custody, but police said she has knowledge of the warrant and police are making arrangements for her to turn herself in.
Fischer said he hung the flag to show his support for Israel, which is currently engaged in a war with Hamas. He said he received a wave of support after sharing the story of the death threat with local media.
Related: Potomac Restaurant Owner Receives Wave of Support after Death Threat Over Flag