By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A man in midtown Sacramento who once hung a swastika banner in the front window of his midtown home to prevent the next-door neighbors from renting their house was taken into custody for violating a court order this morning.
Joe Ongaro, an electrical contractor, was taken into custody after police served a search warrant and arrest warrant about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the man's home near 25th and U streets.
Ongaro, 40, was booked into Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of disobeying a court order and vandalism.
District Attorney Jan Scully said that charges were filed against Ongaro on six counts of violating a civil harassment order and four counts of vandalism.
A press release from Scully's office said that Ongaro had been bothering his next door neighbors for five years. The neighbors, Jolane and Chet Davis, ended up moving from their home in November as a result of Ongaro's behavior, according to the family.
In January, Ongaro exhibited the flag in his window in an attempt to dissuade potential renters of the Davises' home.
He later took the flag down after news of his squabble with neighbors became public.
The relationship between neighbors devolved when Davis and her husband, Chet, remodeled their home in 2006.
Police responded seven times to Ongaro's home in 2010, mostly for alarm calls, noise and disturbances.
The Davises' had obtained a civil harassment order against Ongaro and installed security cameras around their home, according to the district attorney's office. Ongaro is charged with violating the court order, knocking a security camera off its mount, damaging a fence and pouring a caustic substance on a truck belonging to Chet Davis.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
Photo caption: A house on U Street in Sacramento shows a swastika flag. The house's owner hung the flag there in January as part of an ongoing dispute with his next-door neighbor. The man was arrested Tuesday for violating a court order. (Manny Crisostomo/mcrisostomo@sacbee.com)
Previous coverage:
Neighbor takes swastika flag out of front window - Jan. 25, 2011
Sacramento man hangs swastika flag in dispute with neighbors - Jan. 22, 2011
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