Florida man arrested for allegedly doing burnout on LGBTQ Pride crosswalk

A man in Delray Beach, Florida has been arrested after allegedly vandalizing an LGBTQ Pride crosswalk by intentionally driving his truck through the intersection and doing burnouts, which left black skid marks on the rainbow-painted asphalt.

Dylan Brewer, 19, turned himself in on February 12 and was subsequently charged with felony criminal mischief over $1,000 and reckless driving.

In a press release, city officials revealed that the incident took place on the evening of Sunday, February 4 at the intersection of Northeast 1st Street and Northeast 2nd Avenue. 

Footage captured by a traffic camera shows a large black truck with a flag attached to the back revving its engine as it turns left, skidding around the corner and leaving a streak of burned rubber in its wake.

During the ensuing investigation, multiple witnesses provided the Delray Beach Police Department with cell phone videos that corroborated the claim that Brewer had committed the act with intent.

Upon surrendering to law enforcement, Brewer did not provide a statement, and was taken to Palm Beach County Jail.

Officials lamented the "reckless action," saying it "caused significant damage to the streetscape painting, which serves as a symbol of unity and inclusivity for the LGBTQ community."

As the South Florida SunSentinel reports, the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council has called on law enforcement to deem Brewer's actions a "hate crime."
 

"I think a big problem is with our judiciary who doesn't understand hate crimes are hate crimes, whether or not they fit the specific definition of the law," president and founder Rand Hoch said. "There needs to be consequences so people know if they commit crimes like this, they are going to jail, they are going to be fined; they are going to have to suffer from what they did."

The $16,000 crosswalk was created with funding from the PBCHRC and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in 2021.