He said needed more time to decide on a punishment. “This is not the person I was expecting.” Rand Hoch, the president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a local LGBTQ+ rights group, pushed for a year-long sentence for Jerich.īut circuit judge Scott Suskauer appeared to be taken by surprise by Jerich’s personality, saying: “I was expecting someone who displays complete disrespect for their fellow citizens … A person some might call a thug or a redneck. “I’ve had problems in the past with fitting in,” he said, adding: “I was just trying to fit in and be accepted.” He pleaded guilty to charges of criminal mischief and reckless driving, and agreed to pay $2,003 to repair the mural.ĭuring a hearing last Thursday, Jerich hung his head, cried and apologized for his actions but did not offer any real explanation for them, according to the Palm Beach Post. Using the license plate captured in the video, police located Jerich, who agreed to turn himself in.
“The video shows that the driver willfully drove the vehicle with disregard for the safety of any other persons or property.” “The video clearly shows a white Chevy truck stopped at the intersection, and then intentionally accelerated the vehicle in an unreasonable unsafe manner in a short amount of time … The Chevy truck continues to recklessly skid sideways,” the affidavit said.
According to the police, he had attended a 30-car rally for the former president’s birthday on 14 June. A few days later, police noticed “tire skid marks” that were “approximately 15 feet across the painting”, according to an affidavit.Ĭellphone footage sent to authorities showed then 19-year-old Alexander Jerich driving towards the intersection in a white pickup truck with a Donald Trump flag draped over it.