Lenny Dykstra, who won the 1986 World Series with the New York Mets, was arrested in Linden for threatening an Uber driver with a weapon.
LINDEN, NJ — Former Major League Baseball All-Star Lenny Dykstra was arrested by Linden police May 23, after he allegedly pulled out a gun and threatened an Uber driver, officials said.
The 55-year-old outfielder, who played from 1985 to 1996 with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, was arrested outside Linden Police Department Headquarters just before 3:30 a.m.
At that time officers were alerted to a vehicle that sped into the attached parking garage, Linden police said in a May 23 press release. The driver, a 47-year-old Roselle resident, was beeping the horn repeatedly until he came to an abrupt stop in front of the building, then ran from the car and told the officers that he had picked up Dykstra in Linden moments earlier for a scheduled fare. Dykstra, who has been living in Linden, reportedly tried to change the destination and, when the driver refused, Dykstra put a weapon to his head and threatened to kill him, police said.
No weapon was located, but police did recover a quantity of cocaine, MDMA and marijuana among Dykstra’s belongings. Dykstra has been charged with third degree making terroristic threats and various drug offenses, the release said. He was released on a summons pending a court appearance next month.
The arrest is only the latest in a series for Dykstra, who won the World Series with the Mets in 1986, and was selected to the MLB All-Star Game three times while playing with the Phillies. Among his arrests and convictions are: pleading no contest in 2011 California State Court for automobile theft, a scheme in which he and others obtained leased vehicles using fraudulent identities; pleading guilty less than a year later in federal court to bankruptcy fraud and money laundering; and charges related to various alleged incidents of sexual assault, drug possession, fraud and indecent exposure.
Dykstra was also included in the 2007 Mitchell Report, commissioned by MLB, that identified him as one of many players who had used steroids during their career.