The man blamed for utilizing his pickup to copy tire marks across a gay-pride streetscape in Delray Beach on Tuesday moved to battle the charges against him.
Alexander Jerich, 20, showed up in Palm Beach County Court on Tuesday. He had the chance to take a supplication bargain, however, his lawyer demonstrated a craving to go to preliminary.
Jerich, of Lake Worth, transformed himself into police after a viral video showed a white pickup truck enrolled to his dad consume tire marks into the rainbow banner painted out and about. He is accused of criminal wickedness of more than $1,000 and wild driving.
The case originates from a video that began restoring reputation via online media in June.
The convergence at Northeast First Street and Northeast Second Avenue in Delray Beach was painted in rainbow tones as a component of work to observe Pride Month, a global acknowledgment of gay, lesbian, sexually open, transsexual, and strange individuals.
One day after it was divulged, a bunch of slip marks destroyed the splendidly shaded craftsmanship. Video of the episode posted via online media shows a pickup truck doing a tire burnout across the crossing point as different drivers blare their horns.
The drivers were important for a birthday rally for previous President Donald Trump, whose birthday was the next day, on June 14. The course from Delray Marketplace on Lyons Road to Atlantic Avenue downtown was pre-arranged, as indicated by the capture report.
The video shows a pickup truck with a blue “all on board the Trump train” banner flying from the back of the truck. An SUV driving before the truck additionally seems to have a Trump banner attached to it.
Detectives used the video in their investigation, said Delray police spokesman Ted White.
The individual who took the video needed to stay mysterious, the report says.
Gay rights advocates communicated dissatisfaction that Jerich wasn’t accused of disdain wrongdoing.
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said he trusts Jerich was inspired by bias however that Florida’s lawful standard kept his office from accusing Jerich of disdain wrongdoing because the casualty is the city, not a unique individual.
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Florida explains hate crime as “a committed or attempted criminal act by any person or group of persons against a person or the property of another person or group, which in any way constitutes an expression of hatred toward the victim because of his/her personal characteristics.”
The first expense of the artwork was about $16,000 and repainting will cost about $7,000, city authorities have said.
If he’s convicted, Jerich could face up to six years in prison, Aronberg said.The state also will seek restitution for the costs of repainting, he said.
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