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Nicholas G. Mucci, 28, of Toms River was wearing a black face covering on Jan. 28 as he blocked attendees from leaving a concert organized by a social justice organization known as the One People's Project at the Trinity Episcopal Parish on Asbury Avenue, state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.
“White lives matter, too,” he shouted while tossing two smoke bombs toward the crowd from his SUV, the attorney general said on Monday, March 6.
Video captured the incident, with Mucci speeding away as "smoke began filling the air and the crowd became visibly alarmed," Platkin said.
Mucci then doubled back, pulled into the church parking lot and got out shouting while trying to pepper-spray the remaining attendees, he said.
A license plate reader helped identify the vehicle -- and, ultimately, Mucci, the attorney general said. Records also showed that his cell phone had "gone dark" during the incident, he said.
The smoke bombs were traced to a fireworks store in Morrisville, PA, where Mucci used and out-of-state photo ID to buy them last October, Platkin said.
Mucci was taken into custody Saturday night by investigators from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP), detectives from the Division of Criminal Justice and New Jersey State Police troopers.
He was sent to the Ocean County Correctional Institution in Freehold to await a first court appearance, records show.
Mucci is charged with causing or risking widespread injury or damage, arson, aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and possession of a weapon and destructive device.
“New Jersey is, and always will be, a state that values the rich diversity of all cultures, religions, and ideals," Platkin said. "This attack targeted people exercising their freedom of expression as they left a house of worship."
“The alleged actions of this defendant presented a clear risk to the public that could have ended in tragedy,” added New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Pearl Minato.
The investigation was led by NJOHSP Sergeant James Fry with Detectives John Ronaghan, David Reiff and Pete Appleman operating as the main case agents, Platkin said.
Providing valuable support, he said, were the FBI, NJ State Police, the prosecutors' offices from Monmouth, Mercer, Middlesex and Ocean counties, the Ocean County Sheriff's Office and police from Toms River, Wall and Berkeley Township.
Handling the case for the state is Deputy Attorney General Amy Sieminski.
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