‘This Monkey Over Here’: New Jersey Man Who Was Caught on Video Spitting In Black Neighbor’s Face, Calling Him the N-Word Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime
A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to four counts of bias intimidation after he harassed his Black neighbors with racial slurs back in 2021.
Edward Cagney Mathews was caught on video calling his neighbors the N-word and “monkey” on July 2, 2021, in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
According to NBC Philadelphia, the 47-year-old pleaded guilty to four counts of bias intimidation and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute. Mathews reportedly entered his plea on Oct. 17. Video of the confrontation shows Mathews repeatedly taunting his Black neighbor on his own doorstep with racial slurs as well as spitting on him.
Mathews and the man were already arguing when another neighbor began recording, and Mathews was seen using his chest to shove his neighbor. “I’m harassing you, you dumb f—king punk,” he said. After he got in the man’s face, the man pushed him back.
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“You motherf—kers are taking all my money,” Mathews said. “Shut the f—k up,” he continued as the neighbor replied, “You shut the f—k up.”
“This isn’t your apartment, you dumb f—k,” yelled Mathews as the man asked him to leave. “Get the f—k outta here. Get outta here,” the man repeated. Mathews laughed as he also recorded the exchange.
After the man again told Mathews to leave him alone and worry about his own business, the Mount Laurel man refused and pointed to the person recording.
“This monkey over here, this monkey over here both have video of you putting your hands on me twice,” he said, adding that he was going to press charges.
“You have no idea what you’re getting involved in,” Mathews continued. When the man replied that someone in the neighborhood had broken car windows, Mathews said, “You know where I was when all this happened? At work, monkey.”
“Just like I told the Mount Laurel police, ‘Get these f—king monkey n—ers out of here,’” he said before looking into the camera and inviting people to come and find him. “3206 Gramercy Way. Come f—king see me.”
After a police officer showed up, Mathews turned up his fury as the officer told him to return home.
As the officer tried to talk to the man and his family, Mathews continued his ranting, prompting the police officer to say, “Cagney! Cut it out, man. Let me talk to them.”
“Arrest me! Are you kidding? You f—king n—ers,” he yelled before storming off.
The video was shared on Facebook and went viral, and at least 150 protesters did as Mathews asked and came to see him at the provided address. Mathews was first charged with harassment, but he was later arrested for assault after the authorities saw the footage of him spitting on his neighbor.
According to CBS News, one neighbor said that Mathews had previously used a BB gun to shoot out his neighbor’s windows and “smeared dog feces all over their car.” The protesters reportedly threw garbage at him while he was being arrested.
Mt. Laurel PD brought Edward Cagney Matthew’s out of his home after hours of protestors outside. When he exited, protestors threw liquids, food, and garbage at him pic.twitter.com/n8EM9rNQ8k
— Alex George (@alexgeorgetv) July 6, 2021
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina commended the victim for his exemplary restraint during Mathews’ racist rant.
“I want to especially commend the victim, who showed incredible restraint with someone spewing foul, vile things in his face,” he said. “That’s the subject of the charge, and really, again, how many of us could show the restraint that this gentleman did? He didn’t deserve that. None of the residents here deserve that.”
Mathews later told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he was drunk during the rant. Superior Court Judge Gerard H. Breland scheduled Mathews’ sentencing hearing for Dec. 8. He is facing up to eight years in jail.