Three charged with bias intimidation in Jackson
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - Three white adult males from Jackson were arrested and charged with bias intimidation, harassment and criminal mischief stemming from an Aug. 11 incident.

According to a press release issued by Jackson police Detective Sgt. Denis Campbell, the incident occurred on County Line Road and continued on to Villanova Drive and Rutgers Road. The men who were arrested were Alexander J. Eyer, 20, of Hummingbird Lane, Matthew R. Kreckie, 18, of Anderson Road, and Jonathan Dunn, 19, of West Commodore Boulevard.

At about 1:08 a.m. Aug. 11, Jackson police responded to a Rutgers Road address in response to a call from a black female, age 19, who reported that her vehicle had been run off the road and that she had struck a curb due to the actions of a white male driver of an older model Ford pickup truck, according to the press release.

An investigation by Police Officer James Reynolds, Sgt. Thomas Hratko, Sgt. John McBride, Police Officer Shannon Foote, Police Officer Michael Grochowski, Detective Robert Reiff and Detective Mitch Cowit revealed that the 19-year-old woman and her two passengers, ages 17 and 18, all of whom are black, were traveling east on County Line Road when the pickup truck operated by Dunn pulled up along the driver's side of their vehicle.

The occupants of the Ford pickup truck are alleged to have called out racial slurs, according to the press release. The 19-year-old woman then proceeded farther down County Line Road past Bennetts Mills Road and was followed by the pickup truck.

According to police, unopened cans of beer were then thrown from the pickup truck at the woman's car as she attempted to get away in the Brookwood Three development, Villanova Drive and Rutgers Road.

While attempting to get away from the pickup truck, the woman continued to drive in an erratic manner and then struck a curb.

The pickup truck then fled the area, but was subsequently located at the Regent Diner, Route 9, Howell, by Howell police officers.

The suspects, Dunn, Eyer and Kreckie, were transported to Jackson police headquarters for further questioning and were subsequently arrested and charged. A fourth person who was in the pickup truck, a 19-year-old female, was not involved in the alleged crimes and was released, according to police.

No one was injured as a result of the incident, Campbell said.

Bail was set by Jackson Municipal Court Judge Daniel Sahin at $15,000 for Eyer, Kreckie and Dunn. Bail was posted for Eyer and Kreckie and they were released that day. Dunn was transported to the Ocean County jail, Toms River.