Edward Mathews, Man In Mt. Laurel Racist Rant, Ordered To Remain Behind Bars; Judge Cites Recent Actions, Criminal Past
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (CBS) -- The Mount Laurel man who outraged a community with a racist rant will stay behind bars for now. A judge ordered Wednesday that Edward Mathews remain in custody until his trial.
At the detention hearing, we got a glimpse into Mathews' criminal history and why officials say he could be a danger to this community and himself.
In a two-hour virtual hearing, Mathews, also known as "Cagney," stood at attention wearing an orange jumpsuit while attorneys argued his fate.
The last time we saw Mathews was on July 5 when he was arrested and removed from his home of three years by Mount Laurel police.
"Why do Black people have to have video and the amount of evidence has to be so high," Aliya Robinson said.
This mother-daughter duo outside the courtroom is finally feeling a sense of relief.
"I'm happy in one sense because I feel like I can go outside and not have to worry about being harassed and my daughter won't have to be harassed by Mr. Cagney," Robinson said.
Meanwhile, the state prosecutor gave several witness accounts from over the past year when Mathews allegedly spewed out racial rants and wrote intimidating notes that later the FBI confirmed was his handwriting.
While executing a search warrant, police found 250 grams of drugs that cause hallucination, a slingshot, and over 30 rounds of ball-bearing ammunition.
Mathews was seen in a viral video hurling racial slurs at neighbors.
The state says his criminal history dates back to 1994, landing him in and out of jail. He's also missed 11 court appearances and has had two medical evaluations in 1992 and 2002.
For those reasons, Mathews will remain in the Burlington County Jail. His next court date is Aug. 25, and the defense has seven days to appeal Wednesday's ruling.
CBS3's Wakisha Bailey reports.