TOMS RIVER – A 63-year-old Berkeley man accused of entering a stranger’s home while naked and armed with two large knives will remain in the Ocean County Jail while the charges against him are pending.
Superior Court Judge Pamela M. Snyder granted the state’s request to keep Raoul J. Lynch behind bars at his detention hearing. Snyder ruled that prosecutors had shown by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions could reasonably protect the community.
“The defendant poses such a danger to the community that there are no conditions that this court could impose that would reasonably assure the safety of the community,” Snyder said.
Lynch is charged with residential burglary, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and criminal mischief. The charges are accusations. Lynch is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Police Called To Castleton Drive
According to court documents, Berkeley Township police were called to the 100 block of Castleton Drive at approximately 4:40 a.m. on September 11 after receiving reports of a man yelling.
Responding officers allegedly saw Lynch through the front window of a residence. Police said he was naked, holding two knives and appeared to be in an altered mental state. The homeowner, identified in court records only by her initials, was an elderly woman who used a wheelchair.
The woman allegedly told police she did not know Lynch and had not given him permission to enter her home. According to reports, she saw him inside the residence and made her way toward a rear door, although court records indicated she was initially unable to remove herself from the home.
Officers allegedly watched Lynch damage property in the kitchen and living room with the knives. Police also accused him of throwing an object through a large front window. During the detention hearing, Snyder identified the object as a large candlestick. The criminal complaint estimates that the damage to the residence exceeded $2,000.
According to the judge’s account of the evidence, Lynch suffered cuts to his right hand and foot while allegedly waving and swinging the knives. Snyder said officers described his movements as uncontrolled and reported that he did not follow their commands. Police also alleged that Lynch made statements that appeared paranoid or delusional.
The preliminary incident report stated that officers believed Lynch may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, although the detention hearing focused largely on concerns surrounding his mental health. The incident was reportedly captured on police body-worn cameras.
Defense Sought Mental Health Treatment
Assistant Deputy Public Defender Megan Chase urged the judge to follow Lynch’s Public Safety Assessment, which recommended that he be released under Level 2 monitoring while the case proceeds. That would have required Lynch to remain in regular contact with Pretrial Services and follow any conditions imposed by the court. Chase also proposed Level 3 monitoring, which would have placed him under closer supervision with more frequent contact.
The defense attorney emphasized that Lynch is presumed innocent and that defendants generally should not be jailed before trial unless the state shows that they cannot be safely released. She said Lynch had no pending charges or history of missing court appearances, and his initial assessment did not identify him as likely to commit a new violent offense.
“Mr. Lynch certainly does not deny the serious nature of the allegations against him,” Chase said. “This alleged incident was the result of a mental health episode.”
Chase told the court that Lynch has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia and has received therapy. She argued that an updated mental health evaluation and changes to his treatment would be more appropriate than keeping him in jail.
The defense also pointed to Lynch’s family support and ties to Ocean County. Chase said Lynch had lived in the county for approximately two years and helped care for his mother, who has dementia, and two elderly aunts. All three women are over the age of 90, and his relatives wanted him to return to their home if released.
Chase asked the judge to release Lynch under either level of supervision and require him to undergo a mental health evaluation and comply with treatment. Snyder instead concluded that no conditions would adequately protect the community and ordered him detained.
Judge Cites Prior Record And Allegations
Assistant Prosecutor Christine Lento argued that detention was necessary because of the circumstances inside the home and Lynch’s out-of-state criminal history. Snyder agreed to depart from the Public Safety Assessment’s recommendation and ordered him detained.
The judge said the assessment did not appear to account fully for Lynch’s prior convictions outside New Jersey. She cited Georgia convictions from 2011 that included kidnapping, burglary and aggravated assault, with sentences ranging from 20 years to life.
Lento did not have Lynch’s release date from Georgia and could not confirm during the hearing whether he remained under parole supervision. Snyder said the out-of-state convictions made him appear more likely to be arrested again, particularly for a violent offense, than the initial court assessment suggested.
The judge said she did not place much importance on Lynch’s older, less serious offenses in New Jersey or an identity theft conviction from New York because they occurred many years ago. She also gave little consideration to his past probation violations.
What weighed more heavily in Snyder’s decision were the allegations in the current case. Police said Lynch entered a stranger’s occupied home, armed himself with two knives and damaged property inside. The judge also noted that family members had reportedly described two similar episodes in recent months.
Although Snyder acknowledged the defense’s position that Lynch was experiencing a mental health episode, she concluded that treatment and monitoring would not adequately address the potential danger. Lynch will remain detained while the criminal case proceeds, but the detention order does not determine whether he is guilty of the charges.
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