Arrested TikTok Star Tells Fla. Cops 'He Can Do Whatever He Wants'
By Madeleine Marr
Source Miami Herald
A TikTok star went on a wild ride on a Florida highway, and ended up away from the keyboard for a bit.
According to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper stopped at a stop sign on State Road 54 in Lutz, observed a gray Dodge Challenger in the westbound right turn lane move in front of the stop bar as if to turn right on red.
The driver turned and looked toward the patrol car, then rapidly accelerated at speeds over 100 mph in a residential area, his tires smoking, according to the report.
A tag check during Friday’s incident revealed the driver and owner of the car as Damaury Mikula, who has over four million followers on TikTok and goes by the handle @kidmaury.
The trooper observed the Challenger pull into a home and park; Mikula answered the door when the officer knocked. He was placed under arrest and taken to Pasco County Jail on a felony charge of attempting to flee or elude an officer at a high speed.
After being read his rights, Mikula said he “blogged his life on social media” and earned more than $400,000 a year, according to the complaint. The Land O’ Lakes resident admitted he saw the trooper attempting to pull him over, but “thought the interaction would be over” if he escaped.
“Mr. Mikula advised his state of mind was that he is young, makes a lot of money, and has a fast car and he can do whatever he wants,” continued the report. “Mr. Mikula admitted that was a foolish way of thinking and not a good way to live. Mr. Mikula advised he wanted to do something fun for three seconds, and it cost him.”
The social media star was booked into the Pasco County Jail without further incident and released on $1,000 bail.
The FHP sought seizure or forfeiture of the vehicle, authorities said.
In a YouTube video, Mikula shows his purchase last month of the 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, described by Car and Driver magazine as a “modern muscle car with what amounts to a nuclear reactor under its hood.”
Price tag: $75,000 plus.
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