PORTSMOUTH, N.H. --
A man who admitted deliberately driving into six vehicles at a Portsmouth used car lot said he is finding support from people who have read about his actions online.
David Cross, 42, of Salisbury, Mass., said he drove a minivan into six parked cars at a used car dealership last week because he was upset he and his wife couldn't return the van they recently bought.
"And I was thinking, 'Damage. Damage, damage, damage,'" Cross said.
Cross said he called police and admitted what he had done.
"I remember every car I hit because I remember looking at the price tag before I hit it," he said.
Articles about the incident have reached around the world to China, and Cross said readers in places such as Florida, California and Nebraska are now pledging money to support his legal fight.
Cross said he and his wife knew they were buying a salvaged vehicle that wasn't cleared for the road, but he claims he was ripped off by the dealership and led to believe they were buying a van with 115,000 miles on it.
"The issue has always been the mileage," Cross said. "On several occasions, they told us that that was the correct mileage. They knew we were buying this van for the mileage."
But Cross said his mechanic found a broken odometer and estimated the vehicle had more than 200,000 miles on it, spoiling Cross' plan to fix up the van with parts from a similar model he already owned.
"He wouldn't work with us when we tried to bring it back," Cross said. "You know, people online have said, 'Oh, sometimes they'll charge you a fee if you want to bring it back.' That would have been fine."
The manager at the dealership declined an on-camera interview with News 9 and said Cross keeps changing his story and knew what he was buying.
Cross has called the attorney general's office and Better Business Bureau to file complaints.
He is due in court on Sept. 19. Cross said he worries that he could have difficulty paying fines and repaying the $20,000 in damage he caused.
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