A Howell resident was arrested Friday for threatening in a Facebook post to harm members of the Lakewood Jewish community not complying with state-mandated rules about not having large gatherings in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to a release from the Lakewood Police.

The department was notified of the threatening post on Thursday at 9 p.m. and officers began investigating it, Lakewood Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said.

The officers determined that the author of the post, Anthony Lodespoto, 43, made specific threats to cause harm to members of the Jewish community for violating the state’s ban on gatherings amid the coronavirus outbreak, authorities said.

“The threats largely consisted of Lodespoto threatening to travel to Lakewood with the purpose of assaulting members of the Jewish community with a baseball bat,” a release from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office stated.

Detectives were informed by members of the New Jersey State Police that Lodespoto sent a similar message to the Facebook account of Governor Phil Murphy, the office said.

Officers located Lodespoto at his home on Dutch Valley Road around 3:45 p.m. on Friday afternoon, arrested him and charged second degree terroristic threats, Staffordsmith said.

Lodespoto was lodged in Ocean County Jail pending his detention hearing, police said.

Murphy banned gatherings - including weddings - in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected at least 8,825 people in New Jersey.

In recent days, Lakewood police have reported breaking up several large weddings and other gatherings of people who were defying the governor’s order.

Police said they broke up a wedding Thursday in Lakewood, at least the third time township officers had to disperse a group in the township since Murphy’s order was handed down last week.

If you would like updates on New Jersey-specific coronavirus news, subscribe to our Coronavirus in N.J. newsletter.

Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether it’s a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.