Prosecutors charged Edward C. Mathews, 45, with bias intimidation and assault; some protesters face charges as items were thrown at police.
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — A Mount Laurel man arrested Monday after he was seen on video shouting offensive and racial slurs at neighbors in his condominium complex is expected to remain in jail until at least Friday, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.
Edward Cagney Mathews, 45, has been charged with assault, harassment and biased intimidation in connection with the incident that happened Friday and was seen in multiple videos shared on social media, Prosecutor Scott A. Coffina said.
Meanwhile, people who threw bottles and objects at Mathews and police on Monday and caused damage to homes during a protest outside Mathews' home are facing charges as well, Coffina said.
"It is difficult to overstate how vile and despicable the conduct by this defendant towards his neighbors was on Friday night," Coffina said. "No one should ever have to deal with such hatred thrown in their face anywhere, but especially on their own doorstep."
"That said, it was unfortunate that some participants in yesterday's protest resorted to violence and the destruction of property, including that of the defendant's neighbors, as officers tried to escort the defendant from his home to the waiting patrol car," he said. "We will be reviewing evidence from the scene and will hold accountable anyone who committed criminal acts yesterday."
The incident happened about 7:30 p.m. Friday. In one video of the incident, Mathews is seen chest-bumping a man who interceded between him and a neighbor. He repeatedly uses a racial slur and calls several people "monkey." When a Mount Laurel police officer arrives, he continues to shout the slurs, even as the officer addresses him by name and tells him to go home.
A woman can be heard telling the police officer she just wants him to leave her alone, and Mathews shouts his address as he walks away. Mathews was arrested Friday evening on harassment and biased intimidation and released with summonses, Mount Laurel police said.
On Monday, neighbors and others angry about what they say was ongoing harassment protested outside Mathews' home on Gramercy Way. Mathews was taken into custody late in the afternoon as some in the crowd threw bottles and objects at police and Mathews.
After Mathews was arrested, some in the crowd damaged his home and neighboring homes by continuing to throw items, Coffina said.
Coffina said Mathews was scheduled for a first appearance Tuesday and the prosecutor's office had sought to keep him in custody until a detention hearing on Friday.
6ABC reported there had been a months-long dispute with the development's homeowners association that led up to the Friday incident.
One of the summonses said the video captured Mathews at the home of the HOA president, demanding to talk to him and trying to enter the home when the president's wife answered the door. She had been expecting police when she answered, according to the summonses.
Mount Laurel Police Chief Stephen Riedener told NBC10 Philadelphia that previous charges against Mathews had been dismissed or there had been no probable cause found.
"This particular incident where the neighbors had video available from the Ring cameras and things of that nature, we were finally able to get the evidence that we needed to actually charge him with the crimes he was committing," Riedener told NBC10.
A woman who identifies herself as Jazmyn Jene on Facebook wrote that she had repeated run-ins with Mathews over the last year: "He made threats, filed false complaints, tried to pin people against me constantly HARASSED ME..Tried to force me to drop charges, spray painted my car... He KICKED IN MY DOOR with numerous people present."
NBC10 said Mathews admitted the slurs but denied being racist.
"I've never been a racist," he said. "I did not mean this. It was a lapse of judgment at a moment at my weakest point and my anger got the best of me."
Mount Laurel Mayor Stephen Steglik, Deputy Mayor Kareem Pritchett and council members Nikitas Moustakas, Fozia Janjua and Karen Cohen denounced the incident in a joint statement.
"To say that we are appalled by the disturbing and vicious act of hate which was caught on camera would be an understatement," the mayor and council said. "This man's actions do not reflect who we are as a community nor our values. Nobody should be made to feel unsafe or unwelcome in their own neighborhood let alone in their hometown. Mount Laurel Township, the Mayor, and council fully and unequivocally reject this horrible and dangerous behavior and acts of hate like it. This is not who we are and what our township stands for."
"The Mount Laurel Police Department does not tolerate hate or bias intimidation in any form," the police department said. "This type of behavior is totally unacceptable. We can assure our residents that incidents like this are thoroughly investigated and that those who commit such offenses will be held accountable for their actions."
"Once again, I want to commend the victims for showing incredible restraint in the midst of this unprovoked rant by the defendant," Coffina said Tuesday. "We appreciate those members of the community who came forward with information and video evidence to support the charges we brought against the defendant over the weekend. We are all in this together, and we urge anyone with information or evidence of prior incidents involving this defendant to come forward and present it to Mount Laurel Police Department or our Office."
Coffina said prosecutors would work with Mount Laurel officials, police and the community "to help the community heal and move past this incident."
"The law enforcement community will do everything within our power to make all our residents, no matter their background, feel safe and welcome in their homes, and wherever they work, play or go to school in Burlington County," he said.
Anyone with additional information can contact the prosecutor's office at tips@co.burlington.nj.us, to the Mount Laurel Police Department at tips@mountlaurelpd.org, or by calling the Mount Laurel Police Department's Confidential Tip Line at 856-234-1414, extension 1599.
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