A man from New Jersey allegedly verbally attacked his neighbor with a racist tirade and challenged the man to come to his home for a confrontation. It resulted in approximately 150 demonstrators arriving at his address.
45-year-old Edward Cagney Mathews resides in Mount Laurel.
On July 2, Mathews reportedly went to his neighbor’s residence in the Essex Place condominiums and began spitting and yelling racist comments. The alleged victim remained inside his home.
A video was recorded during the 6-minutes Mathews allegedly went on the racially fueled tirade. He issued his full name and address while encouraging the man to come to his house for a face-to-face confrontation.
The video footage was released online. Three days later, what was reported to be a group of 150 people showed up at Mathews’ address to show their disdain for his behavior and support for the alleged victim.
The authorities arrived, and they created a barrier to keep the people from coming onto his property.
The man allegedly came outside briefly to say he was sorry but went back into the house before engaging with the police.
After being notified about the video, the officers placed him under arrest and escorted Mathews from his residence.
When he discussed the reason behind the incident, Mathews reportedly said he had been having trouble with the homeowners association for a long time. He additionally allegedly said he was intoxicated when the incident occurred. Mathews stated, “Let me be clear: That is no excuse for what I said, but I lost my temper.”
A neighbor uninvolved in the current incident gave an interview about her experiences with Matthews. She asserted that he has a history of showing racism toward the Black people in the community, and has taken violent action to make his position clear more than once.
Mathews is expected to face charges for fourth-degree bias intimidation and trespassing, but the president of the local NAACP believes additional charges should be added.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.