A man who was caught on camera intentionally crashing into a large blue rabbit statue in Wilton Manors later admitted to multiple vandalism incidents in the city, police said.
Wilton Manors Police officials said officers had responded to a vandalism call at Justin Flippen Park at 2109 Wilton Drive around 11:15 a.m. Sunday.
Witnesses told police that a driver appeared to intentionally drive into the large, $300,000 "Thunder Blue" rabbit statue at the park.
Surveillance footage from nearby showed the car travel off the road and collide with the statue. The video showed the driver stop and reattach a part of the car that fell off before leaving the scene.
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Police said officers quickly found the vehicle and arrested the driver, who they identified as 49-year-old Derek Alan Modrok.
“It’s very disappointing and shocking," said sculptor Hunt Slonem. "The point of the sculpture is to make people joyous and celebrate life.”
Modrok admitted to being responsible for multiple vandalisms in the city, including a sign at Justin Flippen Park on May 16 and a popsicle statue at Rachel Richardson Park on May 18, police said.
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Police said the incidents don't appear to be motivated by hate or bias, but that Modrok was upset with former Wilton Manors Mayor Justin Flippen, who the park is named after. Modrok told police he vandalized the statue because Flippen was responsible for the birds that we hear.
“Really pretty strange that someone would want to do this," Slonem said. "It’s just a lot of effort that is tragically wasted, it can probably be repaired to some degree, but it’s a metal base and will never be the same.”
Modrok was charged with three counts of criminal mischief. Thunder Bunny is on loan to the city and now commissioners will decide how it will be repaired.
