PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Gresham man accused of intimidating a Muslim couple broke down after his arraignment Monday, blaming the incident on his “ignorance.”

Frederick Nolan Sorrell, 49, was charged with 3 misdemeanors stemming from the May 29 incident in Northeast Portland, just days after the deadly MAX attack. Sorrell allegedly told the couple to “go back to your f—-g country” and used his hand to gesture a trigger being pulled, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

He was arrested July 7.

After his arraignment, Sorrell explained to KOIN 6 News that he’s “never seen a burka in Portland before,” which scared him.

Sorrell said, “Everything I see in black that is causing all these inflictions in the world like ISIS, Antifa…the KKK with their white hoods, I would have done the same thing. You don’t do that here… I’m just scared of some of the darkness I see. Like everything black like the Grim Reaper, it’s affiliated with death.”

According to Sorrell, he doesn’t know much about the Muslim faith nor had he taken any opportunities in the past to learn more about it.

Sorrell, who described himself as a patriot, said, “My ignorance and my stupidity is why I opened my mouth and I shouldn’t have.”

In regards to his hand gestures during the incident, Sorrell said he didn’t use his hands to make it look like he was pulling a trigger. He said he uses his hands a lot when he talks. Sorrell also said he didn’t own any guns.

Among his previous arrests are convictions for rape and harassment by telephone. He’s also been accused of assault, harassment and strangulation, though those 2014 charges were dismissed.