82-year-old Fla. man slashes 88-year-old woman’s tires for stealing his favorite bingo chair

Published 9:52 am Saturday, May 30, 2015

B-I-N-G-Uh-Oh…

Police say an 82-year-old Lake Wales, Fla. man was caught on camera damaging a vehicle belonging to an 88-year-old woman he was angry with for stealing his favorite seat at a weekly bingo game.

The incident occurred last week in the parking lot of the Lake Ashton Retirement Community Club House.

A surveillance video shows Fred Smith storming out of the bingo hall, retrieving an ice pick from his car, and then puncturing two tires on Ethel Britt’s van.

“I didn’t know it meant that much to him, to do that to my tires,” Britt told WTVT-TV. “If somebody would have told me he would have done that, I never would have believed them.

“I didn’t think anybody would be low enough to do that to my car because I don’t have any enemies in my life. I thought everyone was my fiend. But undoubtedly I got one enemy.”

Lake Wales Deputy Chief Troy Schulze Smith said Smith admitted to the crime, and was apologetic when questioned by officers.

“He said he was embarrassed, he regretted doing it,” Smith said. “He took ownership of it and said that even in the embarrassment he had to face consequences.”

Those consequences include being banned from bingo games at the retirement community, and the likelihood of paying $500 in restitution to Britt.

Britt said that’s all she really wants.

“I’m not mad, but I would like to have my tires paid for,”  Smith said. “Because that took every dime I had in the bank.”