A Florida man who pleaded guilty to vandalizing an LGBTQ artwork at a South Florida junction was sentenced to write a 25-page essay about the Pulse nightclub tragedy. According to the Washington Post, Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer told 20-year-old Alexander Jerich, “I want your own concise account of why people are so cruel and why individuals strike out against the LGBT community.”
The Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando in 2016 was carried out by a man swearing allegiance to the Islamic State, killing 49 people. The ruling comes after Jerich pleaded guilty in March to charges of criminal mischief and reckless driving for placing tire tracks on the Delray Beach painting, which was revealed last year on the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub tragedy.
After attending a vehicle rally in favor of the former president, Jerich approached the mural in his white Chevrolet truck with a Donald Trump flag hanging from the tailgate, according to a witness. According to an affidavit, he then drove over the mural and “deliberately accelerated the car in an excessively unsafe manner in a short length of time, usually referred to as a ‘burn out.'”
“The Chevy vehicle continues to carelessly slide sideways,” according to the affidavit. The maneuver left lengthy tire tracks splattered across the painting, causing thousands of dollars in damage, according to authorities.
Jerich surrendered when authorities identified him using the license plate from the video. Jerich has agreed to pay $2,003 to restore the damaged mural in addition to the essay, which is due on his June 8 sentencing.
During his hearing last week, Jerich was distraught and contrite, telling the judge that he “had difficulty in the past with fitting in.”
“All I was trying to do was fit in and be accepted,” Jerich explained.
Suskauer stated that he did not want Jerich to have a criminal record follow him around for the rest of his life, but instead intended to teach him a lesson by having him work for LGBTQ groups and submit an essay about the Pulse nightclub shooting.
Prosecutors have asked for a heavier sentence of 30 days in prison followed by five years on probation.
