Brick Woman Accused Of Bias Intimidation Via Facebook

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township woman has been charged with bias intimidation, accused of sending threats invoking the Ku Klux Klan via Facebook messenger, the Ocean County prosecutor's office and Brick Township police announced Thursday.

Denise Scaltrito, 48, was arrested May 13 and charged with harassment and bias intimidation, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.

Scaltrito is accused of sending several threatening and offensive messages to the victim. The messages included the "KKK is alive and well in Brick," and that "(the victim) should move," Billhimer said. Additional messages included derogatory comments about the victim's race and references to the Aryan Brotherhood, a violent white supremacist gang that formed within the California state prison system in the late 1960s, according to the FBI.

"It is against the law to intimidate someone based on their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, disability or gender identity/expression," Billhimer said. "This type of behavior is on the rise, especially on social media. Individuals that exploit hatred, intolerance and prejudice with a purpose to intimidate will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"The Brick Township Police Department will investigate all allegations of bias intimidation thoroughly," Brick Police Chief James Riccio said. "This type of language directed at an individual with a purpose to intimidate will not be tolerated."

Scaltrito was processed at Brick Township Police Headquarters and released on a summons pending a future court date.

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