Lakewood officers charge 7 suspects in bias attack
BY TOYNETT HALL
Staff Writer

LAKEWOOD - In 21st-century American society with a push for diversity within business, education and all areas of the public sector, one might think the generation of today would be the most enlightened in terms of race relations in the United States.

However, a recent incident in which seven Howell youths were charged in connection with eggs being thrown and racial epithets being yelled at people in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood calls that supposed enlightenment into question.

According to Lakewood Police Lt. Joseph Isnardi, police received a call at 2:39 a.m. June 17 regarding a red pickup truck carrying several males in the bed and in the cab who were harassing residents at Fourth Street and Private Way.

Isnardi said Patrolman David Silverstein responded to the call. Silverstein spoke with two victims and a witness who provided a description of the truck and the people in it.

The officers conducted a search and located the pickup truck at the intersection of County Line Road and Route 9. The driver was subsequently stopped at the border of Howell and Lakewood on Route 9 at Alexander Avenue, according to police.

"When the vehicle was approached, there were three males found lying in the back of the truck, along with a carton of eggs in plain view, and throwing objects. When the officer approached the driver of the vehicle, he asked for the driver's credentials and spotted more eggs inside the vehicle," Isnardi said.

Police subsequently arrested the driver, Christopher Clauder Jr., 18, of Howell, as well as passengers Christopher Balasone, 18, of Howell, Andre Ferreira, 18, of Howell, and Edward Fischer, 18, of Howell, and charged them with assault and bias intimidation.

The officers arrested three 17-year-old passengers in the truck and charged them with juvenile delinquency. Police did not release the names of the juveniles.

Isnardi said he did not know the motive behind the youths' action.

"The bias crimes we have had have no rhyme or reason, and there is no particular group committing these acts," the lieutenant said.

Isnardi said Lakewood does not experience many bias crimes, but that point was debated by Etzion Neuer, the regional director for the New Jersey Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

"We have dealt with issues in Lakewood very frequently. There is a vast Jewish population that is very visible. Because of that, it is an easy mark for bigots. The Lakewood community is often the target of these sort of incidents," Neuer said.

"In an Orthodox (Jewish) community growing at a rapid rate, the neighborhood changes. When change occurs, people have trouble dealing with it. That results in vile acts of hatred," he said.

Neuer said it appears that bias crimes are generally committed by young adults.

"Both anecdotally and in studies we've seen anti-Semitism, most crimes are committed by people under the age of 24. They are generally male and generally white. We often see in the schools a high rate of incidents occurring," Neuer said.

According to the New Jersey ADL, New Jersey ranks second in the nation behind New York in the number of anti-Semitic incidents committed.