Former Met Lenny Dykstra was arrested early Wednesday morning in New Jersey for threatening to kill his Uber driver after the driver would not change his destination mid-ride, the Linden Police Department said.
Dystra, 55, was charged with third-degree making of terroristic threats and drug offenses; police recovered cocaine, MDMA _ also known as ecstasy or molly _ and marijuana, said Lt. Christopher Guenther, of the Linen PD public information office. Dykstra was released on a summons hours after his arrest and is due back in Superior Court on June 8.
The former Mets center fielder was arrested in front of Linden police headquarters at 3:30 a.m. after the driver, identified as a 47-year-old Roselle, N.J. resident, sped into an attached parking garage, beeping his horn repeatedly. The driver came to an "abrupt stop," police said, and ran from his car.
Police said the driver accused Dykstra of putting a weapon to his head and threatening to kill him if he did not change his destination. There was no weapon recovered at the scene. The alleged threats occurred shortly after the Uber driver picked up Dykstra for a scheduled fare. According to police, the driver said Dykstra changed his intended destination and became threatening after the driver refused to change route.
Dykstra, nicknamed "Nails" for his tough demeanor, was a member of the 1986 World Series championship Mets. He has had previous run-ins with the law, and served three years in state prison beginning in 2012 following a no-contest plea _ the result of 25 misdemeanor and felony counts, including grand theft auto and various drug offenses.
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