Man threatened by ax-wielding man over picnic trash

A 59-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly threatened a man with an ax after trash from the man’s picnic at Withers Swash Park ended up on the ground.

George Randall Rheuark is charged with first-degree assault and battery and is being held at the Myrtle Beach Jail, records show.

Officers were called about 4:45 p.m. to Withers Swash Park in downtown Myrtle Beach where a 38-year-old man told them he was finishing up a picnic at the park with his 31-year-old girlfriend when they were approached by Rheuark, police said.

The victim told police he was picking up his trash when wind blew some of the couple’s picnic trash to the ground, and Rheuark came up to the couple and started yelling obscenities at them because of their garbage on the ground, authorities said.

The victim said Rheuark made threats toward him and then went to a nearby house, came back with an ax, and threatened to kill him, police said.

The victim told him to stop threatening him, but the victim became fearful for his life and ran to a house to call police, according to the report.

While he was in a home calling the police, the victim said he saw Rheuark hid the ax, and when police arrived, they said they found the ax propped up on a pillar that supports the roof of the picnic area, authorities said.

Rheuark’s bond had not been set by Friday morning.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Man threatened by ax-wielding man over picnic trash."