Upstate New York Restaurant Closes After Racist Facebook Post

An Upstate New York eatery is shutting down after a racist Facebook comment regarding a missing child's death.

The comment was accidentally posted under the restaurant's Facebook account.

Missing 7-Year-Old Found Dead In Upstate New York

Harbe Nagi, 7, went missing on Sunday after walking away from a family gathering on Park Drive in Menands, New York, a village located just north of Albany.

The boy was autistic and non-verbal. He was found dead in a nearby pool on Tuesday. Authorities believe his death is a tragic accident.

A funeral service is being held on Thursday. Family and friends will gather at the Al-Hidaya Center on Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham to mourn the loss of Nagi.

Racist Comment From Latham, New York Restaurant

The death rocked Capital Region residents. Many took to Facebook to discuss the incident. The official Taste of Italy Facebook account wrote the following in a comment on Facebook about the 7-year-old's death:

Let's not forget if that boy lived in a Muslim country his Muslim family would have killed him a long time ago. Muslims should go back to their 50 plus Muslims countries. They want to bring their horrific fake religion here. It's not a religion it's a terrorist organization. No Muslim should be in any place of Authority in America.

 

Owner Speaks Out

The owner of Taste of Italy, Frank Cappello, later confirmed someone from his "circle" made the comment. Adding that multiple people have access to the Facebook account.

Cappello's wife told CBS 6 she wrote the comment, thinking she was posting from her personal account.

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Taste of Italy Shuts Down

After the comment went viral, many Capital Region residents said they planned to boycott the Italian restaurant. On Wednesday, Cappello announced he's closing the eatery.

"We are so sorry for (the loss) of an innocent boy, and we are closing our doors for the family to mourn the loss of their son," the Taste of Italy Facebook account stated. "God bless everyone."

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