Police in Florida arrested a 40-year-old man on Saturday after he allegedly destroyed a 16-year-old girl's car during a spontaneous monster truck rally.
Fort Meyers resident Norman Nowling was among the thousands of festival attendees who traveled to Punta Gorda over the weekend to celebrate the Red Neck Yacht Club's Swamp Cabbage Weekend. The annual gathering features live music, camping, ATV attractions and the "largest mud party in the state."
Around 5 a.m., authorities received a call from an unnamed teenage girl, claiming that someone crushed her car, according to a press release posted to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Facebook page. The girl told police that she and her 37-year-old step-father left the car in a field while they went "mudding" at the festival. The girl heard that a few drivers destroyed a small car by running it over and returned to the field to find her vehicle destroyed.
A security guard told police that a large crowd gathered and people were cheering for the victim's 1994 Toyota Corolla to be destroyed, at one point saying that "the owner doesn't care, you can do it," authorities said.
According to press release, "Security then said a large white camouflaged van with five-foot wheels showed up and the crowd again said it was okay to drive over the car. The van put the front tire on the front of the car, smashing the hood, backed off, went to the other side and put his other tire on the hood, smashing it and went to the center, driving over the entire car."
Authorities identified Nowling as the driver and promptly arrested him.
Nowling is charged with one felony count of criminal mischief.
Charlotte County Jail officials released him on $2,500 bond.