Chaos Terminal

Angry Cell Phone Customer Trashes Verizon Store

POSTED: 11:43 a.m. EDT May 14, 2004



FARGO, N.D. -- A man who said he was fed up with his cellular phone service went to a Fargo mall and started hurling phones across a store, striking an employee and causing more than $2,000 in damage, authorities said.



Jason Perala, 22, of Fargo, told The Forum newspaper that he planned only to yell at employees at Verizon Wireless.



"Then I just lost it," he said. "I just started grabbing computers and phones and throwing them. I just destroyed the place. ... I kind of regret that I did it, but I hope my message got across."



Police said Perala took off his shirt and put on safety glasses before throwing around computers, phones and other items.



One employee was struck in the shoulder by a phone before he and other workers dashed into an office, locked the door and called police, Sgt. Kevin Volrath said. Other businesses in the West Acres mall lowered their steel security gates during Thursday's incident.



Perala was arrested without incident and jailed on charges of felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor simple assault.

Posted by Mike on May 14, 2004 at 11:31 AM | Permalink