PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 52-year-old man vacationing in Pinellas County was arrested Thursday and accused of using a butter knife to cause extensive damage to a new Nissan SUV parked outside a St. Petersburg restaurant.
According to arrest documents from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 52-year-old Clifford Edwards, of Springfield, Missouri, was spotted making motions next to a couple’s 2023 Nissan Rogue, parked outside the Toasted Monkey, in St. Pete.
“When confronted, [Edwards] laughed and ran off down the street,” documents said.
That’s when the couple noticed the “entire side” of their SUV had been scratched with a butter knife that was lying next to the vehicle. In all, authorities said the damage was estimated in excess of $1,000.
A review of nearby security camera footage yielded a clear shot of the suspect. Authorities said the man had also entered his phone number down on the restaurant’s waitlist.
After calling the number, deputies met up with Edwards at a separate location where he “admitted to the crime post-Miranda,” calling it a “spring break mistake.”
Edwards was charged with criminal mischief and later released on a $2,000 bond.