ORLANDO, Fla. – A 21-year-old St. Cloud man identified by New York police in a viral video showing fans celebrating on top of a taxi cab after a New York Knicks playoff victory is speaking publicly for the first time.
Saul Vargas Jr. told News 6 he regrets his actions during the postgame celebration in Manhattan and has apologized to the cab driver whose vehicle was damaged.
The incident happened after the Knicks’ Game 4 playoff win, when thousands of fans flooded the streets of Manhattan. Videos circulating on social media showed crowds climbing onto vehicles, traffic structures and other objects as celebrations spilled into the streets.
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One video that quickly went viral showed Vargas Jr. standing on top of a New York City taxi cab and striking it with a belt.
“Yeah, so pretty much I got on top of the cab with the belt and I was excited,” Vargas Jr. told News 6. “So I was hitting the taxi with the belt.”
Vargas Jr. said he was visiting family in New York to celebrate his 21st birthday when he traveled from the Bronx to Manhattan to join the festivities.
Days later, the New York Police Department released photos of three people investigators wanted to identify in connection with the incident. Vargas Jr. said he was stunned when he realized he was one of them.
“I was just in utter shock,” he said. “Out of every single person that was there, it was me.”
According to NYPD, Vargas Jr. turned himself in Monday and was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief.
He told News 6 he chose to surrender voluntarily after seeing his image shared by police.
Vargas Jr. said the incident was out of character and that he quickly began regretting his actions.
“I kind of felt bad,” he said. “Was it really worth getting in all that trouble just to have a couple moments of fun?”
His sister, Destinee Vargas, said she encouraged her brother to go out and celebrate his birthday but was shocked when she saw the aftermath online.
“So it’s your birthday. Go out. Have fun,” she said. “But when I seen the aftermath, I was like, ‘Whoa.’”
The taxi involved belonged to 59-year-old driver Noureddine Bitat, who watched as fans climbed onto and damaged his vehicle during the celebration.
When asked what he would say to Bitat, Vargas Jr. offered a direct apology.
“I’m so, so sorry,” he said. “No one should be able to go through that, especially somebody who’s just trying to make a living.”
Bitat spoke publicly Wednesday during a news conference, where a translator said the driver remains traumatized by the incident and was hospitalized afterward.
A GoFundMe campaign has since been launched to support Bitat. Vargas Jr. told News 6 he plans to contribute.
Bitat also said he does not plan to continue driving taxis in New York City.
Vargas Jr. said he intends to return to Central Florida but is still determining when. His next virtual court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 3, when a judge is expected to determine the next steps in his misdemeanor criminal mischief case.