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Ongoing racial dispute erupts into violence
DAYTON - A 40-year-old man who police said has been arrested numerous times for racially-related crimes now faces felony charges for allegedly trying to hit his neighbor with a shovel because he is black.
Kurt D. Riddlebarger is in Montgomery County Jail on felony ethnic intimidation and assault charges after police said nearly a six-month-long dispute escalated on Dec. 26 with him attacking his neighbor in the 200 block of Ashwood Avenue.
“Apparently this is an ongoing dispute that started in June over Mr. Riddlebarger’s issues with his neighbor’s race,” Lt. Patrick Welsh said.
Welsh said Riddlebarger uttered racial slurs while trying to strike his 51-year-old neighbor with a shovel. The male victim was able to flee unharmed and called police.
“The complainant has a protection order against Mr. Riddlebarger and we responded to the scene because he violated that order,” Welsh said.
Jail records show Riddlebarger has been arrested four times in the last six months on ethnic intimidation and/or menacing charges. All those arrests were related to the ongoing dispute with his neighbor, Welsh said.
Riddlebarger faces two to eight years in prison if convicted of the felonies, but first the case must go before a Montgomery County grand jury. A date for that hearing has not been set.
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