New Jersey man indicted for using racial slurs, threatening neighbors, throwing feces

A Mount Laurel man who went on a series of tirades where he's accused of stalking, harassment, using racial slurs and smearing feces, has now been indicted.

For his alleged actions, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced Tuesday that a grand jury returned a 15-count indictment against 46-year old Edward C. Mathews for bias intimidation of his neighbors, damaging property, stalking and narcotics violations among other offenses that brought on the charges of Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute (Second  Degree), Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (Third  Degree), two counts of Possession of a Weapon For an Unlawful Purpose (Third Degree), two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Fourth  Degree), Stalking (Fourth Degree), Criminal Mischief (Fourth Degree), four counts of Bias Intimidation (Fourth Degree) and three counts of Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons (Fourth Degree).

Mathews was arrested on July 2, 2021 after a resident living on Coventry Way went to Mount Laurel Police to file a harassment complaint.

When police responded to that street, on a report of a man needing to be removed from the area, Mathews was involved in a verbal altercation with four residents and is accused of using racial slurs during that confrontation.

He was sent to his residence by police who were trying to deescalate the situation and was later charged for the incidents that day.

Mount Laurel Police said they requested charges be placed on a warrant, which Prosecutor Coffina said would allow them to put him in custody and jail after that, but while the Municipal Court judge approved the charges, they were put on a summons.

Prosecutor Coffina said when his office brought charges against Mathews, he was arrested and additional charges were then brought against him by Mount Laurel Police following a search of his residence on Grammercy Way.

Mount Laurel Police were authorized a search warrant and also applied for an Extreme Risk Protection Order against Mathews, which prints him from possessing any firearms, Coffina explained, and this came after Mathews made a threat to use weapons against his neighbors.

Coffina said that one of the victims, who reported harassment to the police, said she suspected Mathews used a BB gun to damage her vehicle as well as her daughters.

Police ended up finding a slingshot and multiple ball bearings, which matched the damage to the vehicles.

Mathews allegedly used the ball bearings to cause $2,350 worth of damages to those vehicles.

He also allegedly stalked one of the vehicle owners as well.

In the search of his home, police also found numerous psilocin mushrooms, and packaging materials.

Mathews also smeared feces on one of the vehicles he damaged and also was charged after the FBI analyzed a threatening note he wrote and left on the vehicle.

He is in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, at the moment, and his case is being prosecuted by Burlington County Assistant Prosecutor Jamie Hutchinson.