Florida man who vandalized LGBTQ mural ordered to write 25-page essay
The order comes after Jerich pleaded guilty to charges of criminal mischief and reckless driving
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Florida man that pleaded guilty to vandalizing an LGBTQ mural at an intersection in South Florida has been ordered to write a 25-page essay on the Pulse nightclub shooting.
"I want your own brief summary of why people are so hateful and why people lash out against the gay community," Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer told 20-year-old Alexander Jerich, according to the Washington Post.
The 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando carried out by a man pledging allegiance to the Islamic State took the lives of 49 people.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alexander Jerich (Delray Beach Police)
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The order comes after Jerich pleaded guilty to charges of criminal mischief and reckless driving in March for intentionally leaving tire marks on the mural in Delray Beach, which was unveiled last year on the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
A witness captured video of Jerich approaching the mural with his white Chevrolet pickup adorned with a Donald Trump flag hanging from the tailgate after attending a car rally in support of the former president. He then drove over the mural and "intentionally accelerated the vehicle in an unreasonable unsafe manner in a short amount of time, commonly referred to as a ‘burn out,’" according to an affidavit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The Chevy truck continues to recklessly skid sideways," the affidavit continued.
The move left long tires marks stained across the mural, which police say resulted in thousands of dollars in damage.
Jerich turned himself in after police tracked him down using the license plate from the video. In addition to the essay, which is due on his June 8 sentencing, Jerich has agreed to pay $2,003 to repair the damaged mural.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jerich was tearful and apologetic during his hearing last week, where he told the judge that he "had problems in the past with fitting in."
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"I was just trying to fit in and be accepted," Jerich said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Suskauer expressed that he didn't want Jerich to have a criminal record follow him around for life, but wanted to teach him a lesson by having him volunteer for LGBTQ organizations and write the essay about the Pulse nightclub shooting.
Prosecutors have requested a harsher sentence of 30 days in jail followed by five years of probation.