Man Threatened To Physically Harm Manager Over Shopping Cart: Police

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ -- A Middlesex County man is facing multiple charges after he threatened to bodily harm a store manager at Freehold Raceway Mall who tried to stop him from taking a shopping cart, then tried to hit the responding police officer with a tree branch, according to a criminal complaint.

Dominick J. Granger, 19, of Old Bridge, is accused of trying to take a shopping cart belonging to the Christmas Tree Shop store off the property on Feb. 28. When the store manager tried to stop him, he threatened bodily harm, according to the criminal complaint, “specifically shouting, ‘I‘m going to **** you up, *****.’ “

Granger then ran from the police officer who responded to the incident, refusing to stop despite being ordered numerous times to stop, according to the complaint. Once he was apprehended, Granger continued to fight, breaking free from a controlled hold while the police officer attempted to handcuff him, the complaint said. Granger then grabbed a tree branch and tried to hit the officer with it, according to the complaint.

At the time of his arrest, Granger is accused of having books, clothing and food valued at $120.88 that had been stolen from Walmart and Christmas Tree Shop, the complaint said.

Granger is charged with terroristic threats, shoplifting, trespassing, receiving stolen property, obstruction of justice after running from the police officer, and resisting arrest, according to the complaint.

He is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute in lieu of $30,000 bail, according to the complaint and jail records.