New Jersey man killed his grandfather with an axe — then told cops God commanded him to do it

On Wednesday, NJ.com reported that a Jason Vicari, 21-year-old man in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, killed his 81-year-old grandfather, Ronald Vicari, with an axe — and told police that he had been commanded to do so by God.

"A relative of the pair called 911 at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, telling police Jason had barricaded himself inside Ronald's home on Beechwood Avenue in Elmwood Park, according to the arrest report. The relative said Jason had a handgun, it said," reported Josh Solomon and Anthony Attrino. "The relative also told police Ronald was lying in the bathroom unconscious with a wound to his head, and that the bathroom window was broken, the report said. The call triggered both Elmwood Park Police and the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team to arrive."

According to the report, Vicari surrendered around 10:20 in the morning. Shortly after, het old police "God told me to do it," unprompted, and explained that he believed his grandfather had been transformed into a "monster."

The report comes as murders around the country have risen. Republicans have sought to pin this on President Joe Biden, even though the rise in violence started under former President Donald Trump and is still nowhere close to the height of the crime surge of the 1980s and 1990s.