'Tear up that gay intersection;' vandalism happened during Trump birthday rally

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A witness told investigators the vandalism of the pride intersection in Delray Beach took place during a birthday rally for former President Donald Trump.

The crime now has the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council calling on the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee to condemn violence against the LGBTQ community and the City of Delray Beach.

See also: Video shows driver vandalizing Pride intersection in Delray Beach

Police arrested 20-year-old Alexander Jerich on charges of reckless driving and property damage criminal mischief. He turned himself in to police.

The evidence against him includes cell phone video of a pickup truck doing a burnout on the newly-unveiled $16,000 LGBTQ Pride Intersection Streetscape at NE 2nd and NE 1st Street.

According to the arrest report, a witness told police that particular intersection happened to be along the parade route for Trump supporters. The witness said he was two cars in front of the suspect when he heard another man yell something like, "Adam, tear up that gay intersection." The witness described the driver of the Chevy pickup truck as a man in his twenties with blonde shoulder-length hair with curls. The witness said the truck had a blue Trump flag on the tailgate.

The cell phone video of the vandalism also showed the truck's license plate number, which authorities traced to a home on Pinemore Lane. Jerich lives there with the person who is the registered owner of the pickup truck, police say.

After being contacted by police, Jerich agreed to turn himself in. He did not provide a statement.

The crime happened two days after the city unveiled the new intersection in honor of Pride month.

Community leaders want an apology.

"The Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee bears some of the responsibility for the damage done to the Deltay Beach LGBTQ Pride Intersection," said Rand Hock, the president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. "The local party must denounce his hateful crimes committed by Alexander Jerich and apologize to both the LGBTQ community and the City of Delray Beach."

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