CLAYTON, Mo. – A St. Louis County man is accused of tossing garbage and other items, including phallic masks, on his ex-father-in-law’s Clayton property.
According to the Clayton Police Department’s probable cause statement, the incidents happened between August 9 and August 16.
Police said Robert J. Mertensmeyer, 54, left rubbish and poured motor oil on the victim’s driveway, threw signs and broke glass jars on the property, and left phallic masks on the lawn while yelling at the victim.
On August 15, police said Mertensmeyer crashed his car into his former father-in-law’s garage, causing significant damage. Mertensmeyer was taken into custody and allegedly admitted to throwing trash on the victim’s property over the last several days.
Mertensmeyer was released from jail on August 16 and, according to police, returned to the victim’s property that afternoon and left bondage handcuffs and another phallic mask in the driveway.
Police said Mertensmeyer told investigators at the time of his arrest that he wanted officers to shoot him. Mertensmeyer believed his former father-in-law had “paid assassins” to follow him for years.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Mertensmeyer with first-degree harassment and first-degree property damage. A county judge signed an arrest warrant for Mertensmeyer on August 17 with a $100,000 cash-only bond.
