BRICK – A Township man has been arrested and charged after slashing tires of two cars in a 7-Eleven parking lot while saying racial slurs, police said.
Ryan McDonald, 33, of Brick, was charged with three counts of Bias Intimidation, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and two counts of Criminal Mischief.
Around 2 p.m. on October 24, police said a man became agitated with other customers in the 7-Eleven convenience store on Mantoloking Road.
Police said the suspect left the store, retrieved a knife from his car, and proceeded to stab the tire of a customer’s vehicle. He then approached the vehicle of a second customer, and used the knife to stab two tires, all the while employing racial slurs. An older woman and child were inside the car at the time, police said. The suspect thereafter fled the scene.
Authorities later determined that McDonald was responsible and located him in the surrounding area. He was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the Brick Township Police Department and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Bias Crime Unit for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.
The charges referenced are merely accusations and the public are reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
