Lexington Man Accused of Racially Harassing Neighbors With Banana Peels

LEXINGTON, MA – A Lexington man was arraigned Wednesday in connection with a series of racially motivated incidents that occurred throughout 2016, the Middlesex County District Attorney's office said.

Robert Ivarson, 49, has been charged with three counts of civil rights violations and one count of criminal harassment.

On Dec. 16, police responded to a report of banana peels being thrown into the driveway of a Lexington home. Officers were told that this wasn't the first time it had occurred; over the course of the year, 30 to 40 banana peels had allegedly been thrown into the driveway, according to the DA.

Multiple reports say the victims were black.

Police began to conduct video surveillance of the home and identified Ivarson, a nearby resident, as a suspect. He was arrested after police allegedly saw him throwing a banana peel onto the victim's driveway around 4:25 a.m. on Dec. 31.

Ivarson was arraigned Wednesday in Concord District Court. Bail was set at $10,000 and he has been ordered to wear a GPS bracelet, remain under house arrest, have no contact with the victims or potential witnesses and not possess a dangerous weapon.

Image via Renee Schiavone/Patch

Editor's Note: This story was written using information supplied by the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office. An arrest does not imply a conviction.