A Union City man is facing multiple charges related to him threatening people with violence in New Jersey and across the country via anonymous calls where he referenced people of ‘Jewish and African-American descent,’ authorities said.

Between December and February, officials from prosecutor’s office investigated a pattern of phone calls placed to government officials and a private business in Edgewater, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office said in a release.

Steve Ortiz

The “unknown caller” was actually Steve Ortiz, 45, of Union City, according to prosecutors, and he is charged with bias Intimidation, false public alarm, terroristic threats and stalking.

An investigation by the prosecutor’s office Cyber Crimes Unit determined that Ortiz made the calls to victims in River Edge and West New York, as well as New York, North Carolina and New Mexico.

Detectives determined that Ortiz drove across the United States making about 25 such calls to victims in and around Bergen County from December through February.

Ortiz was arrested in Hicksville, N.Y., on Feb. 27, and transported to Bergen County jail on Tuesday. He will be held until a pending detention hearing.

The F.B.I., U.S. Marshals, and multiple police departments across New York, North Carolina and Montana assisted with the investigation.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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