Ledyard ― A Ledyard man is facing charges after police said he swung a rake at his neighbors after being caught digging up their yard.

At 10:14 a.m. on Saturday, police said they received a call from a woman on Laurel Avenue who said a neighbor was digging up her front yard with a rock rake and refused to leave.

Police said Mark E. Uterstaedt, 62, of 11 Sunset Ave., had walked to the woman’s home “because he believed he owned the neighborhood and that the caller and her family were pirates.” When confronted, police said Uterstaedt began to scream obscenities at the caller’s husband and their young children. Uterstaedt then swung his rock rake in the direction of the man in a threatening manner, police said.

Uterstaedt told police that he was digging up the yard because he believed the owners were trying to install a waterline.

Uterstaedt is charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor, trespassing, breach of peace, second-degree threatening and fourth-degree criminal mischief.