Ron Carr, the 34-year-old man arrested last week following his vandalizing 15 homes by painting swastikas on their exteriors and setting fire to another residence, was also armed with two baseball bats, apparently intending to use them against the police during his arrest, the Asbury Park Press reports.
The arrest took place on June 7, when Carr was confronted by law enforcement officers. According to the court documents, Carr brandished one of the metal baseball bats from a backpack, positioning it at his waist and advancing towards the police, disregarding their commands to lie on the ground. Officer Jordan Weed described Carr’s resistance, stating that he continued to shout obscenities at the officers even as they physically restrained him. It was revealed that Carr was on probation at the time for unrelated drug and criminal mischief convictions.
During subsequent interviews with the police, Carr admitted to having the baseball bats with the intention of using them against the arresting officers. The affidavits also mentioned other unspecified admissions made by Carr during the recorded interviews, which contributed to establishing probable cause for the 36 charges leveled against him.
The charges against Carr include 16 counts of bias intimidation, 15 counts of criminal mischief, and three counts of arson. The court documents indicated that police recovered a gas can from Carr, which he used, along with matches and a cigarette lighter, to set fire to a residential construction site on First Avenue. The blaze resulted in the destruction of the property and caused damage to a neighboring house, as well as nearby trees and landscaping. As a result, Carr faces an aggravated arson charge. Additionally, he was charged with possessing the baseball bats with an unlawful purpose and attempting to obstruct the police from arresting him.