Man faces charges for alleged harassing

Francis Barnes, 58, hit with 20 criminal counts for alleged series of incidents in early October

NORTH WALES >> A 58-year-old Chalfont man is facing 20 criminal counts for allegedly harassing and threatening a North Wales man via a series of bizarre incidents outside the victim’s residence in early October, according to police.

Francis X. Barnes, of the 100 block of Kings Court, has been charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of harassment and disorderly conduct, as well as terroristic threats, stalking, and other related misdemeanor and summary counts.

The first incident leading to the charges against Barnes occurred on Oct. 3, when someone painted a bull’s-eye target on the side of the victim’s brand-new work truck, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The man said he was able to use paint remover to get rid of the target, and showed cops several text messages he’d gotten from Barnes in July and August, one of which called him a vulgar name and another with the number “666,” the affidavit indicates.

Two days later, according to court documents, the man contacted police to tell them that Barnes had pulled up in front of

his house in a white Cadillac, went over to his truck and crouched down near the tires before leaving — and had captured the entire sequence on video. Cops discovered that the valve stems on both passengerside tires had been crushed, police said.

Investigators determined that Barnes owned a 2016 white Cadillac, court documents state.

Then, on Oct. 9, the man reported that a blueand-white basketball had been left on his property with phrases including “Your [sic] Dead,” “F--You,” “Game On” and “It’s Time” scrawled on the ball with black marker, and that a vehicle with a loud muffler had done a “burnout” in front of his property, according to the affidavit.

The next day, the affidavit shows, the man reported to police that a white Cadillac drove past his house and someone threw a plastic bag containing mouse traps and wet red paint, and with the words “Rat B----” written on the outside of the bag, onto his driveway — an incident that was also captured on video.

Finally, shortly before midnight on Oct. 10, police said, North Wales cops were on patrol in the area of the victim’s residence when they saw a green Buick with a loud muffler doing a burnout in front of the man’s home and conducted a traffic stop, identifying Barnes as the driver. Barnes allegedly admitted doing both burnouts to harass the victim, according to the affidavit, and was then asked to exit the car — when he did so, he had a marijuana grinder in his hand, and after he was handcuffed and searched, cops found a pipe with marijuana residue in his pocket and a small amount of marijuana inside the grinder.

Barnes was arraigned on the 20 criminal counts before Whitpain District Judge Robert Sobeck, who set bail at $25,000 unsecured.

Barnes has already waived his preliminary hearing in the case, sending all charges to county court for trial, records show. Formal arraignment is set for Dec. 7.

Authorities did not say whether Barnes provided a reason why he was harassing the victim.

Attempts to reach Barnes’ lawyer for comment were unsuccessful.