Man Admits To Antisemitic Graffiti, Burning Down House In Manchester

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester man admitted to spray-painting swastikas on several houses and lighting another house on fire in an antisemitic spree, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Ron Carr, 35, pleaded guilty to arson, bias intimidation and two counts of criminal mischief in connection with the incidents on June 6, 2023 and the early morning hours of June 7, 2023, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Carr's sentencing is set for Aug. 16, and he faces seven years in New Jersey State Prison for the arson charge, five years for the bias intimidation charge and 18 month terms for the criminal mischief charges, Billhimer said. These sentences would run concurrently.

According to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by Patch, Carr was initially arrested as he was found walking near Commonwealth Boulevard less than an hour after the fire was reported, dressed in clothing matching that of a suspect seen on Ring camera at one of the vandalized homes.

Carr had "multiple encounters with the Manchester Police Department," Detective Patrick Cervenak wrote in the affidavit, and at headquarters, police could smell the odor of gasoline on his clothing.

Police had received numerous calls about houses being vandalized, with 14 homes spray-painted with graffiti including hearts, swastikas, names and "other miscellaneous words," in red and silver on "front doors, garage doors, vinyl siding of homes, and on driveways," the affidavit said.

A fire was reported at a First Avenue house at 3:11 a.m., according to the affidavit, and about half an hour later received a call about a suspicious person walking near Commonwealth Boulevard.

When police found the suspicious person — identified as Carr — he was wearing the clothing seen on the person in the Ring video at one of the vandalized homes, the affidavit said. Carr was carrying a backpack and initially took out a baseball bat that he used to menace police before he was forcefully arrested, the affidavit said.

Under questioning, Carr told police he spray-painted the homes to "keep sneaky penguins out," and when Cervenak asked for clarification "as to who the 'sneaky penguins,' were, he laughed and stated, 'Jews,' " Cervenak wrote.

Carr said he sprayed red hearts on homes because he "felt bad for the people who were not part of the Jewish community," along with the names of his daughters, and swastikas.

Carr "made multiple anti-Semitic statements, stating that the 'Jews are ruining the world,' that 'they are bad for the environment,' and that 'they should be a dying breed,' " Cervenak wrote.

Carr — whose statement was video and audiotaped — confessed to starting the fire at the First Avenue home, saying he poured gasoline on wood inside the home and lit it with a cigarette lighter, then threw the gasoline can in the basement, the affidavit said. That description matched what arson investigators found, Cervenak said.

Carr told Cervenak and Officer Jordan Weed "he started this fire because he was 'saving the neighborhood' " and said the house would become a school or "prayerland" and "destroy everything," the affidavit said.

The house, which was under construction at the time, was destroyed in the fire and three additional homes suffered heat damage and flames spread to a wooded area behind the house. No injuries were reported.

A GoFundMe campaign was started to assist the homeowners, who are Hispanic and were having the house built and did not have homeowner's insurance. The family — Angel and Brenda Rivas, and Brenda's parents — have been working for years to afford to build the home, according to the GoFundMe.

This article contains additional reporting by Karen Wall.