Bad idea: Palm Bay man threw cinder block out of moving vehicle as 'prank,' police say

PALM BAY, Fla. – Upon finding a cinder block, a 20-year-old Palm Bay man thought it would be a good idea to throw it out of a moving car at another vehicle as a "prank," police said.

Robert Pearce told police he was driving on Garvey Road Friday when part of a cinder block was tossed out of the driver's side of a Mitsubishi four-door. The partial cement block hit the hood of his SUV, bouncing up and nearly hitting the windshield, according to the Palm Bay police report.

"When it hit, it blew into pieces. It went, 'wham,'" Pearce sai.

His young daughter was sitting in the front passenger's seat and could have been seriously injured if the cinder block had broken the windshield, according to the report.

Police said the victim followed the vehicle the cinder block came from, but the black car swerved in and out of different neighborhoods to try to lose him. After the car went onto Malabar Road, almost colliding with a motorcycle, police pulled over the car, according to the report.

The victim said he followed the traffic stop and waited to speak with officers. The motorcycle rider also stopped because they were almost hit by the same vehicle, according to the report.

Police said the spoke with the driver vehicle who denied knowing where the cinder block came from or how the victim's SUV was damaged. The rear driver's side passenger Kadeem Tomlinson, 20, Palm Bay, also denied any involvement.

However, the other two passengers in the suspect's car told police Tomlinson picked up a cinder block before getting into the car and said he was going to throw it at a random car as a "prank." Both passengers said Tomlinson threw the cinder block out of the driver's side back window and they all heard a loud bang.

Monday, in an interview with News 6, Tomlinson admitted to throwing the projectile and he said he was sorry.

"It was a stupid joke. I apologize for it," the college engineering student said.

Tomlinson is charged with throwing a deadly missile and criminal mischief.


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