HAINES CITY, Fla. (AP) – A 26-year-old man has been accused of stealing a bulldozer from a Florida construction site, driving it into a neighborhood and knocking down campaign signs for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, according to authorities and homeowners.
The man took the bulldozer in Haines City on Saturday and repeatedly destroyed Biden signs in full view of people who live in the neighborhood, witnesses said. James Blight was charged with grand theft auto and trespassing, according to the Haines City Police Department.
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Former Vice Mayor Adam Burgess lives in the central Florida neighborhood, which he said is predominantly Black. He called it a hate crime.
“This man came onto my property, took the two Joe Biden signs I had in my yard and then came back with a bulldozer to run down my fence,” Burgess told Bay News 9.
Video taken by the news outlet showed the damaged fences. Blight was also accused of bulldozing down a city speed limit sign, among other signs.
Police said Blight claimed he was too drunk at the time to remember what happened. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.