New York police arrest ‘social media prankster’ who dumped food on himself at local businesses

CENTEREACH, N.Y. (AP) — Police in the suburbs of New York City have arrested who they described as a “ social media prankster” over viral videos in which he dumps heaps of food on his head and runs away, leaving others to clean up his mess.

Kyle Vazquez, 21, was arrested in Centereach, on Long Island, on Monday. He was charged on eight counts, including six counts related to recording people without their consent and two counts of criminal tampering, police said.

The Coram resident pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday and was released pending his next court date on June 30, according to prosecutors and court records.

Suffolk County police say Vazquez dumped a tub of eggs on his head in front of a Ralph’s Italian Ices in Centereach on April 29. He then fled in a car, leaving a mess of broken eggshells in the entranceway, police said.

Vazquez pulled a similar stunt at a Chinese eatery in town the next day, pouring a bucket of beans over his head while standing shirtless in the middle of the establishment.

Then in May, Vazquez visited three homes and asked the residents if he could use the bathroom. He then created a disturbance and filmed residents without their knowledge or consent, police said.

Vazquez posted videos of the stunts, along with many others, on his TikTok account, which has more than 100,000 followers.

The Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, which is representing Vazquez, didn’t respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.