New Jersey man sentenced to 7 years in arson, antisemitic graffiti cases

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey man has been sentenced to seven years in connection with an arson and antisemitic graffiti last year, authorities said.

Ocean County prosecutors said Ron Carr, 35, of Manchester Township was sentenced Friday on guilty pleas to arson, bias intimidation and criminal mischief. The seven-year, five-year and 18-month terms imposed for the convictions are to run concurrently.

In a news release, prosecutors said township police were called to the Pine Lake Park area in June 2023 and found 14 homes vandalized with spray paint that included some “Nazi symbolism.” The next day, emergency responders were called to a fire that destroyed one home and damaged three others.

Carr was arrested in both cases and authorities alleged in an affidavit outlining the charges that he made multiple antisemitic statements to investigators while being interviewed. He told police he was “saving the neighborhood” and he thought the house he set on fire would be turned into a school or “prayerland,” the affidavit said.

Defense attorney Shane Paugh said after Carr was charged that he hoped his client will “get the help he needs,” NJ.com reported.

The Asbury Park Press reports the crimes came amid “legal battles and zoning disputes over the placement of synagogues and Orthodox Jewish schools in Ocean County, which has rapidly growing Orthodox communities.”