Grand Island man facing hate crime charges after threatening teen with a machete, police say

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - A Grand Island man faces felony charges after allegedly threatening a teenager with a machete at L.E. Ray Park over the weekend.

Tom Ross, 66, is charged with terroristic threats and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. Police were called to the park on South Blaine Street around 11:45 a.m. Saturday, where they found Ross holding a metal pipe and a bottle of chemicals near the driver's window of a vehicle with a 17-year-old boy inside.

The incident began as a road rage dispute that escalated at the park. The teen told police Ross approached his vehicle, brandished a machete, and made threats. The teen then got out of his vehicle, intending to fight. Ross said he tried to leave but claimed the teen recklessly cut him off in the park, prompting him to grab the metal pipe.

Investigators also reviewed a Snapchat video showing Ross making racial slurs during the altercation, which he admitted to. Ross was arrested on charges with hate crime enhancements.

Police also discovered marijuana and a glass pipe in the teen's vehicle. He was cited for reckless driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and drug-related offenses, and was placed on an ankle monitor before being returned to his parents.

Ross appeared in court Monday, with bond set at 10 percent of $30,000. He is prohibited from possessing weapons or firearms. His preliminary hearing is set for December 20.