Trump flag angered man so he dumped trash on resident’s lawn for months, NJ cops say

A 58-year-old New Jersey man was allegedly dumping trash on a resident’s front yard for about four months because he couldn’t stand looking at a President Donald Trump flag displayed on the property, local outlets reported.

Richard Keller, 58, of Franklin, was first caught in the act at about 5 a.m. on July 1 when undercover police officers witnessed Keller throw trash out of his window onto the driveway of the Sparta home, ⁠ the Sparta Police Department said, TAPintoSparta reported. It’s about a 13-minute drive from Keller’s village to the Sparta home, according to Google Maps.

When one of the officers stopped Keller and asked him why he continued to dump trash on the person’s property, he responded, “I think you know...because of the flag,” police said, according to the outlet.

“Some people are very passionate about their opinions,” Sparta Lt. John Lammon told TAPintoSparta.

Keller could not be immediately reached for comment by McClatchy News, and did not provide comment to other media outlets.

The homeowner told police the dumping started about four months ago, stopped when the coronavirus pandemic shut down the township, then began again in June, police said, the New Jersey Herald reported.

After installing cameras, the homeowner said the trash was coming from a Kia Soul, and often included “full bags of garbage as well as random items like discarded grapes and a bag of flour,” according to police, the outlet said.

“Mr. Keller had such disdain for President Trump that it enraged him that someone was displaying a Trump flag,” Lamon said in a press release, NJ Advance Media reported. “He decided that he would keep throwing garbage on their driveway to cause them inconvenience.”

Keller was arrested July 1 and “charged with criminal mischief, harassment and several township ordinance and motor vehicle offenses,” the outlet said.

Keller has since been released from police custody, NJ Advance Media reported.