NJ man accused of deliberately crashing car into home, police station

A New Jersey man deliberately drove his SUV into a home and the offices of a municipal police department last week, authorities announced Friday.

No one was injured in the crashes, both of which took place on Sept. 20, the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release. However, at least one officer narrowly escaped being struck when John Hargreaves, 34, of Belvidere, drove into the Independence Township police headquarters, causing significant damage.

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Hargreaves’ vehicle came to rest in the department’s squad room. As he got out of the vehicle, prosecutors said Hargreaves put his hands in the air and appeared to be celebrating while loudly playing the Guns N’ Roses song “Welcome to the Jungle” on his car stereo as officers took him into custody.

That crash happened just minutes after Hargreaves had driven into the garage door of a home in Liberty Township, an act prosecutors said was intended to harass the homeowner, who is known to Hargreaves. He then drove to the Independence police station because it was closest to the home, prosecutors said.

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Hargreaves was charged with burglary, criminal mischief and a weapons count in both crashes. He also faces counts of terrorism, aggravated assault and causing widespread injury or damage stemming from the police station crash.

Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the crashes. They said Hargreaves remained jailed Friday.

County prosecutors said they did not know if Hargreaves had retained an attorney. The Associated Press left a voicemail seeking comment with an attorney who had represented him in a previous case. A telephone number for Hargreaves could not be located.