NORTH BERGEN AND BEYOND — The New York Times is already detailing the life story of Mohamed Mahmood Alessa, the North Bergen resident who the FBI says veered toward a life of future terrorism (see previous news item at www.hudsonreporter.com). In a story today, the newspaper discusses changes that acquaintances say they saw in the 20-year-old growing up:
“In North Bergen, where Mr. Alessa lived with his family on 81st Street for most of his life, neighbors recalled how he seemed to drift from his family and longtime friends as he grew older. As a teenager, they said, he argued with his father, had scrapes with the police and began hanging out with a group of boys who called themselves the P.L.O. or the Arabian Knights. They could be found on nearby Kennedy Boulevard, spray-painting stop signs with their gang letters, said Marcos Regato, a grammar-school friend of Mr. Alessa’s.
“Mr. Regato said he thought Mr. Alessa had dropped out of high school and gone to a local prep school for troubled students before attending Bergen County Community College.
“He seemed like an observant Muslim, but a neighbor said he had seen Mr. Alessa drink alcohol at a party. His beard was usually long, but occasionally, he just shaved it off, the neighbor said.
“Hemant Shah, the Alessas’ landlord, said that the police had visited the house to talk to Mohamed Alessa at least twice in the last few years. He said that Mohamed visited Jordan about two years ago for six months. Mohamed’s father, Mahmood, told Mr. Shah that his son went to Jordan for school, but that Mohamed had come back because he did not like it.
“Mr. Shah also recalled an incident around 2001, when Mohamed Alessa hung a flag — either Jordanian or Palestinian — outside his house and his father made him take it down.
“Mr. Shah said he spoke to the family on Saturday as they were taking Mohamed’s luggage to the car. Mr. Alessa said he was going away, ‘maybe for about six months.’ Mr. Shah did not ask where he was going.”